Damen Shipyards is getting ready to build four Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates, two for the Royal Netherlands Navy, two for the Belgian Navy. It has now been revealed that the Dutch part of this contract will be doubled.
This was revealed by the Dutch Ministry of Defence in its new Defence paper (Defensienota), published on 5 September.
In addition to the extra frigates, extra maritime helicopters (type NH-90) will be ordered, alongside tanks and F-35s fighter jets.
On its website, the Ministry states: ‘To keep the Netherlands safe, we are investing heavily in our contribution to the NATO alliance. The army will once again get tanks, the air force will get extra F-35s and the navy can count on extra frigates for anti-submarine warfare. The military police will also be strengthened and Defence will structurally allocate an extra 260 million to retain and recruit personnel. Investments will be made in innovation and the defence industry to boost the production of military equipment of today and tomorrow.’
Also read: Dutch Defence reaches agreement with Damen and Thales for ASW Frigates
Investments a ‘dire necessity’
‘The best way to prevent war is to keep potential adversaries at bay. This requires a credible, strong and innovative armed force,’ explains Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans.
He adds: ‘Investing in it is therefore a dire necessity, because we must actively protect our security. The ruthless Russian aggression in Ukraine shows that an attack on the NATO alliance is no longer unthinkable. That would have far-reaching consequences for Dutch security and prosperity. Together with our allies, we must therefore do our utmost to prevent this. With this Defence Paper, the Netherlands is taking a big step in that regard’.
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Tasks of the ASW Frigates
The ASW Frigate can act either independently or integrated into an (international) task force of naval vessels. The main task of the ASW frigate is to fight submarines remotely. The NH-90 board helicopter plays a major role in this. The ASW Frigate can use the helicopter to detect a submarine at a great distance, but conversely, the frigate is difficult for a submarine to notice because the frigate is extremely quiet, much quieter than other naval vessels. The frigate, together with the helicopter, tries to disable or expel the submarine before it can launch a torpedo.
Besides anti-submarine warfare, the frigate can also conduct other maritime combat operations worldwide, such as combating surface targets at sea or on land, or securing vulnerable units such as amphibious ships, supply ships or mine-fighting vessels. In doing so, the frigate has escalation dominance, meaning it can emerge victorious in combat.
Maritime security operations such as counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics or counter-piracy are also among its capabilities. Furthermore, the frigate is suitable for coast guard duties and maritime assistance such as emergency relief or evacuations, or for a diplomatic or economic mission through flag display.
Crew and propulsion
The ASW Frigate has a basic crew of 117 compared to 153 for the current M Frigate, which the ASW Frigate will replace. There is also room for 35 people sailing along for a specific mission, such as the deployment of the NH-90 or deployment for anti-piracy, for example. The reduction of the basic crew has been made possible by automation. A maximum of four people sleep in a cabin, compared to nine in the current M Frigate.
To reduce fuel consumption as much as possible, the ASW Frigate will be propelled by diesel and electric engines without gas turbines. The diesel engines meet the latest emission requirements. With these engines, the Dutch Ministry of Defence may start using sustainably produced fuels in the longer term. The fuel consumption compared to the tonnage of displacement is more favourable for the ASW Frigate than for the M Frigate. However, as the water displacement of the ASW Frigate is almost twice as large, fuel consumption is higher in absolute terms.
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Armament and sensors
To detect and combat submarines, the ASW Frigate has a new integrated system: the Under Water Warfare Suite (UWWS). TNO and Defence have collaborated intensively on its development. This system gives crews timely insight into the submarine threat and allows them to better combat it. The UWWS integrates the torpedo launcher with data from various sonar systems. These include the under-hull sonar, another sonar intended for warning against mines and obstacles, and a towed sonar. The main weapon system against submarines is the Mk54 torpedo, which will become available in a few years. Both the frigate and the NH-90 can launch this torpedo.
For defence against enemy torpedoes, the frigate has a softkill system that misleads the torpedoes. For physical elimination of enemy torpedoes, an anti-torpedo system is under development.
For the purpose of combating surface targets at sea and on land, the ASW Frigate has a 76mm gun. For surface targets, the frigate is additionally equipped with the Norwegian Naval Strike Missile (NSM), the successor to the Harpoon anti-ship missile. For self-defence against small surface targets, the frigate will have two smaller guns and remotely operated machine guns.
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Air and surface targets can be detected and fought by the ASW Frigate using Thales Netherlands’ Above Water Warfare System (AWWS). This integrated radar and fire control system brings together information from multiple sensors, including radars. In doing so, it helps the crew make decisions on armament deployment. A human decision remains necessary when deploying offensive armament. For defensive armament, far-reaching automation is necessary because the response time in case of an attack can be very short.
For medium-range air defence, the ASW Frigate has the ESSM Block 2 missile with which two Air Defence and Command (LC) Frigates are also being equipped. It also allows the ASW Frigate to protect ships in close proximity.
Planning
Construction of the first four ASW Frigates will begin in 2025. The hulls of the ships will be built in Romania, as is currently done for the Combat Support Ship, for example. The ships will then be completed in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands and Belgium have agreed that the Netherlands will get the first and third ASW Frigate and Belgium the second and fourth. The Netherlands will receive the first ASW Frigate in 2028 and this ship will enter service in 2029. For the second Dutch frigate – the third in the production series – this will be 2030 and 2031, respectively.
The current two M-class Frigates will be decommissioned in 2026 and 2030.
The two Dutch ASW Frigates will be named after women of great significance to Dutch freedom. But what these names will be has not yet been announced.
Picture by Damen Naval.
Also read: MAN to supply diesel engines and gen sets for new ASW Frigates
