The French shipbuilding company Naval Group will supply the Netherlands with four ocean-going submarines built on the basis of the French Barracuda (NAS) type.
This is reported by “Europa Pravda” with reference to Le Figaro.
The French manufacturer won the Dutch government tender last March after a lengthy evaluation process that began in 2015.
It took six months for the contract, worth an estimated €5.6 billion, to be signed on Monday by Dutch State Secretary for Defense Gijs Tuynman and Naval Group CEO Pierre-Eric Pommelle.
“The lengthy procurement process has shown that the submarine proposed by the Naval Group is the best solution to replace the Walrus-class submarines. The Orka, Zwaardvis, Barracuda and Tijgerhaai submarines will give the Royal Netherlands Navy a head start in submarine warfare,” – says Gijs Tuinman.
This will strengthen the strategic autonomy of the Netherlands. For his part, Pierre-Eric Pommelle said that he was “extremely honored” that the Naval Group had been chosen as “one of the most advanced operators of NATO's submarine fleet, which meets high operational and technical requirements”.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000According to the terms of the agreement, Naval Group undertakes to cooperate with local companies and scientific institutes for twenty years.
Naval Group has identified 300 potential partners, among them – Thales Netherlands, which specializes in control and fire control systems, sensors and radars.
According to the industrial plan, the four submarines will be assembled at Naval Group's shipyard in Cherbourg, but the Netherlands will be responsible for a number of critical systems and maintenance.
These new boats will replace the conventional Walrus-class attack submarines, which for more than 30 years and the first of which was withdrawn from the fleet last autumn.
The first two submarines of the “Orka” type, equipped with diesel-electric engines, will be delivered between 2034 and 2037. They will be able to carry American Mark 48 torpedoes and cruise missiles.
Earlier Australia and Great Britain signed a new agreement on cooperation in the field of defense and security, which facilitates joint operations of their armed forces on the territory of both countries.
Under the AUKUS agreement between Australia, Great Britain and the United States, Australia will purchase several American Virginia-class submarines over the next decade and build a new submarine at the Adelaide shipyards by 2040.