In a project valued at €5.65 billion (approximately R$6.17 billion), the Netherlands has announced the selection of the French Naval Group for the construction of four attack submarines, outperforming bids from the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and the Swedish Saab Kockums, the latter in cooperation with the Dutch shipbuilder Damen.
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The Naval Group will provide a conventional version of its Barracuda submarine, aiming to replace the Netherlands’ four Walrus-class attack submarines, the first of which was retired in October. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, which released the information in a statement on Friday, the first two submarines are expected to be delivered within 10 years of signing the contract.
Christophe van der Maat, the Dutch State Secretary of Defense, highlighted in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the contract will include a “substantial role” for the Dutch industry, fulfilling a crucial requirement of the selection process.
This agreement is part of an ambitious plan to renew the Dutch naval forces, which includes not only the replacement of submarines but also the commencement of construction for over 20 surface ships in the next decade, representing a total investment of more than €11 billion. The need for an expeditionary ship capable of operating in the country’s overseas territories was one of the key criteria for the selection of the Naval Group by the Netherlands.
Source, photo, and video: defensie.nl
