Recently, IHC Defence signed the contract with the Ministry of Defence’s Materiel & IT Command (COMMIT) for the supply of six winch and handling systems. The newly-built systems will be placed on the four future Anti Submarine Warfare Frigates (two for the Royal Netherlands Navy and two for the Belgian Navy) and on board HNLMS Karel Doorman and HNLMS Johan de Witt.
The signing was done by Eric Gret, general manager IHC Defence in the presence of COMMIT‘s contract manager Simone van de Akker and project manager Rob Klijn, and Royal IHC CEO, Derk te Bokkel.
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Winch and handling systems for sonar
The winch and handling systems are intended for the deployment and recovery of a towed combined passive and/or active sonar (towed array). This sonar is of great importance for the protection of these capital vessels in areas where there is a high probability of attack with torpedoes originating from submarines. The highly sensitive sonar is able to detect any torpedoes fired so that the ship can deploy countermeasures in time.
Gret: ‘We are proud to be able to deliver a key piece of equipment for the four future Anti Submarine Warfare Frigates, and in this way contribute to the safety of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Belgian Navy.’
The Winches are manufactured in Kinderdijk by SAS-Hytop, a division of Royal IHC that already has long experience in supplying winches that must be able to operate in the harshest conditions. The six systems for the Royal Netherlands Navy will be delivered in phases. The first in January 2026 and the sixth winch in 2029.
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