Now it has been finalised. On 30 September, the CEO of the French Naval Group and the State Secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Defence signed a delivery agreement for four Barracuda submarines to the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder.
The procurement decision was made in March (marineforum online reported). Naval Group beat the German tkMS and the Dutch-Swedish Damen-SAAB/Kockums tandem out of the race with its newly developed Blacksword Barracuda class. Barracuda Shortfin is the diesel-electric variant of the French Navy's Suffren-class nuclear-powered submarines. The new Orka class, consisting of the boats "Orka", "Zwaardvis", "Barracuda" and "Tijgerhaai", will replace the Walrus class submarines (2,800 tonnes submerged) currently still in service. The first two units are to be delivered within 10 years. According to earlier information from the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the delivery order has a total value of 5.6 billion euros.
Group photo: Representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Defence and Naval Group management. Photo: Naval Group
Three years after Australia pulled out of an extensive submarine procurement programme, Naval Group can now claim international success. The situation is different for Dutch surface naval shipbuilding, which is losing ground in the European context. With a possible German decision in favour of a MEKO design for F127, the alliance entered into with Damen for the frigate 126 will become a dead end for the time being.
However, cooperation agreements have been concluded. According to Naval Group's press release dated 30 September 2024, the company is committed to "collaborating with numerous key Dutch companies and knowledge institutes over a period of twenty years. This plan involves Naval Group's network of Dutch partners in key systems and components and ensures that the Dutch ecosystem develops and maintains expertise and commitment over the entire lifecycle of submarines." This long-term commitment is underpinned by an industrial cooperation agreement signed with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs on 10 September 2024.
It's about her successor - the Dutch Walrus class. Photo: Royal Netherlands Navy
On the other hand, from a German perspective, the Dutch have missed an opportunity for cooperation and standardisation in submarine construction and operation. With the German-Norwegian submarine project U212CD and the cooperation with Italy and Portugal in the procurement and operation of submarines, there is a broad cooperation network that enables cost efficiency and optimisation of operational capability.
hum
English 
German
0 Kommentare