In free Europe, we can only hope that the Ukrainians continue to keep the Russians occupied for some time before the latter physically attack NATO member states, in addition to the hybrid warfare they are already waging. Like other allies, the Netherlands still needs time – to put it mildly – to bring its naval fleet up to strength. The successors to the four Air Defence and Command Frigates (LC frigates) – the Navy’s most heavily armed and powerful warships – will not be operational before 2036, with the last not ready until 2041.
In every issue of SWZ|Maritime, SWZ|Maritime’s editor-in-chief Antoon Oosting writes an opinion piece under the heading “Markets” about the maritime industry or a particular sector within it. For the September 2025 issue, he goes into the fleet renewal plans of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher (the SWZ Foundation), the KNVTS, or other editors.
The big question is whether Defence will be too late for the effective deployment of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the event of a large-scale Russian attack. It was announced last year that the first of the four new submarines being built by France’s Naval Group will not be ready until 2034 at the earliest, with the second to follow no later than 2037.
Meanwhile, it has only just been decided to participate, with the new Orka-class, in the development of the Joint Strike Missile – Submarine Launched (JSM-SL), a European project led by Spain. This is intended to deliver an alternative missile system to the American Tomahawk cruise missiles, with which the current LC frigates will indeed be equipped.
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Cruise missiles
The purchase of Tomahawks is just one of many projects through which Defence and the Navy are trying to keep the current fleet up to date. Two of the four LC frigates of the De Zeven Provinciën class will receive new radar systems, fire control, and missile systems to replace the current Sea Sparrow Missile, namely the ESSM Block 2 missile, to protect themselves from airborne threats. This upgrade is scheduled for 2027–2032, although delays in production mean deliveries will extend two years longer.
The successors to the M-frigates, the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates, will also be fitted with the new missile systems. Importantly, all sensor, weapons, and command systems on the new frigates must be interconnected so that different ship types in a NATO task force can better respond to modern aerial threats, including hypersonic missiles.
The current LC frigates will also be fitted with new equipment for detecting and disrupting electromagnetic signals. Given the growing threats and the long lifespan of the ships, replacing this outdated equipment has become essential.
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Jammers
With the improved passive observation equipment for electromagnetic signals, the LC frigates can detect opponents earlier. In addition, at least two LC frigates will receive active jamming equipment (jammers) to jam anti-ship missiles. The material seaworthiness will also undergo a considerable upgrade in the coming years. Incidentally, it had already been decided earlier to replace the 127 mm gun with a new type, which requires quite a drastic conversion.
General systems such as hoisting equipment, heating boilers and cooling and fire alarm installations are being replaced. In addition, new electronic systems are planned such as navigation radars and electro-optical, radio, network and computer systems. This takes place within the framework of major maintenance of the LC frigates that will be carried out between 2024–2032. Incidentally, all these projects are included in the Defence Projects Overview 2025 that was presented to the House of Representatives in May.
Supporting functions
In addition to the heavily armed frigates and submarines, the navy has always had access to a fairly large fleet of support ships. These include both large ones, such as the LPD (Landing Platform Dock) ships like the Rotterdam and the Johan de Witt, the Joint Support Ship Karel Doorman and the newly delivered Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder, as well as numerous smaller units. These include four mine countermeasure vessels, two hydrographic survey vessels, a torpedo work ship, a support vessel in the Caribbean, a sailing training ship, a naval training vessel and four diving vessels.
So these are all ships with at most light armament for self-defence and can therefore in real war situations only operate in fleet formations in which more heavily armed ships such as frigates sail along for protection. A separate mention is required for the Oceangoing Patrol Vessels (OPVs) of the four-unit Holland-class. These are designed for tasks at the lower end of the spectrum of force.
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Low spectrum of violence
The 76-mm gun on the foredeck may look impressive to an outsider – there is also a 30-mm rapid-fire gun and two 12.7-mm machine guns installed on board – but for experts it is clear that this is at most a lightly armed, upgraded patrol vessel. The most effective weapon is the helicopter on board. The OPVs are mainly deployed for tasks such as operations in the Caribbean, countering terrorism and piracy, and serving as guard ships in the North Sea.
The absence of an adequate air-defence system rules out deployment in high-risk areas. Nevertheless, these OPVs will also undergo a so-called Midlife Update (MLU). This ensures they continue to comply with legal requirements and seaworthiness standards. In addition, technical bottlenecks are addressed so that components and systems can be maintained at reasonable cost until the end of their service life. The Holland-class MLU is limited to measures necessary to allow the OPVs to perform their tasks safely and efficiently. The operational capabilities of the vessels remain unchanged.
Replacement of support vessels
Of particular interest to the smaller and medium-sized shipyards in the Netherlands is that Defence also intends to replace the ten auxiliary vessels used for various support tasks. These entered service between 1987 and 2006 and will gradually reach the end of their service life between 2026 and 2034. Since the functions of these vessels remain important, they must be replaced.
Due to changes in task execution and operations within the Naval Command, the total number of vessels can be reduced to eight. Defence plans to order four seagoing vessels and four diving support vessels next year. The seagoing vessels will largely share the same design, while the diving support vessels will be identical. They will be equipped with climate-friendly propulsion technology and dual-fuel energy systems (methanol and diesel). Interesting for the shipbuilding sector is that Defence also intends to outsource maintenance to the builder of the ships.
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Amphibious transport ships
Also of particular interest to Dutch shipbuilders is the plan, announced last year, to replace the two large landing platform dock (LPD) ships and four OPVs with six ships of a new class of amphibious transport vessels. This new class must be suitable for deployment in wartime conditions and for modern amphibious operations. They can also serve as station ships in the Caribbean. The first amphibious transport ship is scheduled to enter service in 2032.
According to Defence, modern amphibious doctrine requires light, fast and dispersed operations, with light logistical support. The new ships will therefore be smaller than the current LPDs. This may, for example, mean that several amphibious transport ships will be deployed simultaneously.
Helicopters and drones
By contrast, the OPVs are not currently designed for tasks higher up in the violence spectrum. Due to the deteriorating international security situation, the navy needs ships that are suitable for wartime conditions. Damen Naval, as shipbuilder, is involved in this project. The big question is what the amphibious transport ships will look like.
In any case, all ships will have a helicopter deck, but the question is how large it will be and whether drones will also be able to take off and land. Damen is currently building a drone carrier for the Portuguese navy, which may provide insights. The only major difference is that the ship for Portugal is being built to civilian standards, which is of course cheaper, while the Netherlands wants truly robust warships.
What will certainly not be built is an aircraft carrier such as the navy had until the late 1960s (Karel Doorman I and II). The Royal Netherlands Navy is simply too small for that. Even for the British, the acquisition of two supercarriers was almost a bridge too far, since the high costs led to severe cutbacks in the rest of the Royal Navy.
Multifunctional Support Vessel
That Defence can at times act decisively in procuring new ships is shown by the acquisition of two Multifunctional Support Ships (MSSs). Defence is in negotiations with Damen on this. The plan only emerged last year. These are relatively small ships, based on Damen’s design for the Fast Crew Supplier, equipped with containers carrying the weapons and systems required for a specific mission — for example, additional air defence with missiles or precision weapons capable of striking ground targets at long range.
SWZ|Maritime’s September 2025 issue is a navy special. This edition also features articles on the mine countermeasure vessels, frigates and the CSS Den Helder.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s September 2025 issue: Royal Netherlands Navy in transition
Respond to this article by sending an e-mail to Antoon Oosting, editor-in-chief and author of this article: redactie@swzmaritime.nl.
Cartoon by Hans de Wilde/SWZ|Maritime.
