Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (Koninklijke Marine)

Last updated
Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate Concept artist impression Koninklijke Marine.jpg
Artist impression of the ASWF
Class overview
NameAnti-Submarine Warfare Frigate
Builders Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding
Operators
Preceded by Karel Doorman-class frigate
Cost€4 billion for 4 ships (as of April 2023) [1]
Built2020–2030s
Planned
  • Dutch Navy:
  • Belgian Navy:
General characteristics
Displacement6.400 tonnes
Length145 m (475 ft 9 in)
Beam18 m (59 ft 1 in)
Draught5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Installed power32 MW (43,000 hp)
Propulsion
Complement117 (plus space for additional 34)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Systems
    • TNO UWWS (Under Water Warfare System)
    • Thales AWWS (Above Water Warfare System) fire control cluster [6]
  • Sonars: (not yet selected) [7]
    • Bow sonar
    • Towed array sonar
    • mine / obstacle avoidance
  • Radars: [6]
    • Thales APAR block 2.0, X-band multifunctional radar
    • Thales SM400 block 2, (E-band - F band (NATO)) multifunctional radar
    • Thales PHAROS multi-target tracking radar
    • Thales Scout Mk3 low-detectability naval surveillance radar
    • Terma SCANTER 6002 naval surveillance radars [8]
  • Electro-optical sensors: [6]
    • Thales Mirador Mk2 (fire control)
    • Thales Gatekeeper Mk2 (observation)
  • Communications:
  • Navigation:
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Systems to be installed: [10]
    • Soft-kill torpedo countermeasures system
  • Future systems planned:
    • Hard-kill anti-torpedo torpedo system
Armament
Aircraft carried

The Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF) is a project of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN, Dutch: Koninklijke Marine) and Belgian Navy to replace the existing Multipurpose- or M-frigates. [12] The project shows similarities to the British Global Combat Ship (also formerly named FSC program) but development is fully separate.

Contents

Context

The current M-frigates, originally all built in the Netherlands but apart from two units sold to Belgium, Portugal, and Chile are reaching their planned retirement age around 2020. However, due to extensive budget cuts over the past decades and other large materiel programs such as the acquisition of the F-35 for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Dutch Ministry of Defense currently does not have enough funds available to start building the ships. [13] Therefore, lifespan of the current vessels has been extended until 2025. Keeping the ships any longer will cause problems with NATO and related tasks because the ships weapons suite is outdated and not up to current standards. For example: the M-frigates only carry 16 surface-to-air missiles in the form of the outdated NATO Sea Sparrow (RIM-7). Onboard modern ships the Evolved Sea Sparrow (Block 2 in development) does the job, but those do not fit in the also outdated Mk48 VLS cells on board the M-frigates. Apart from these, the M-frigates only have a single Goalkeeper system for CIWS. Offensive capabilities are limited to obsolete RGM-84 Harpoon missiles. The 76mm cannon is not fit for modern semi-guided munitions like DART, Davide/STRALES, or VULCANO. [14]

Additionally; the RNLN searched for European partners to build the ships with and cut costs, and in January 2017 reached an agreement with the Belgian Marine Component to build a total of four ships together. [15] This number could be adjusted later on during next phases of the acquisition process. With a total of four and two for the RNLN the current two M-frigates are to be replaced by an equal number. There are concerns about whether that number is enough to meet current and near future challenges, since it often happens the RNLN has no ships available to only fulfill the most basic of its duties (like supporting foreign navy ships along the Dutch coast). [16] The costs for the 4 ships are currently estimated at 1.50-2.50 billion euro's for the two Dutch frigates and 1 billion euro's for the two Belgian frigates. [12] Originally it had been hoped that the first frigate would be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2024, while the first frigate for the Belgian Navy was to be delivered in 2027. [17] However, as of 2020, the in-service date for the two Dutch frigates had slipped to 2028-29 with the Belgian frigates following immediately thereafter. [18] In March 2023, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced that it expected to deploy the first frigate in 2029, with Belgium deploying their first in 2030. The other two remaining frigates would be deployed in the following years. [19]

Construction

The hulls will be partially manufactured in Romania, at Damen's shipyard in Galati. It will be fitted with its system at the Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding facility. [20]

Construction plan

Operator Pennant

number

NameConstruction startLaunched

(plan)

Delivery

(plan)

Commissioning [21]

(plan)

Naval Jack of the Netherlands.svg  Royal Netherlands Navy ——Planned for 2025———
——————
Naval Ensign of Belgium.svg  Belgian Navy ——————
——————

See also

Related Research Articles

The Royal Netherlands Navy is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is one of the four Netherlands Armed Forces. It was founded on 8 January 1488, making it the third-oldest naval force in the world.

HNLMS <i>Karel Doorman</i> (R81) Colossus class aircraft carrier

HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81) was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Formerly the British ship HMS Venerable, she was sold to the Netherlands in 1948 as a light attack carrier. In 1960, she was involved in the decolonization conflict in Western New Guinea with Indonesia. In the mid 1960s, her role was changed to anti-submarine warfare carrier and only ASW aircraft and helicopters were carried. An engine room fire took her out of service in 1968. She was sold to Argentina in 1969 and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo.

<i>Karel Doorman</i>-class frigate Ship class

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Tripartite-class minehunter Ship class of minehunters

The Tripartite class is a class of minehunters developed from an agreement between the navies of Belgium, France and the Netherlands. A total of 35 ships were constructed for the three navies. The class was constructed in the 1980s–1990s in all three countries, using a mix of minehunting, electrical and propulsion systems from the three member nations. In France, where they are known as the Éridan class they are primarily used as minehunters, but have been used for minesweeping and ammunition transport in Belgium and the Netherlands, where the Tripartites are known as the Alkmaar class.

<i>Holland</i>-class offshore patrol vessel Four ocean-going patrol vessels constructed for the Royal Netherlands Navy

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HNLMS <i>Karel Doorman</i> (A833) Multi-function support ship

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HNLMS <i>Rotterdam</i> (L800) Landing Platform Dock

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Belgian frigate <i>Louise-Marie</i> Belgian Navy frigate, purchased in 2005

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<i>Alkmaar</i>-class minehunter

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NRP <i>Dom Francisco de Almeida</i> (F334) Frigate

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Roofdier-class frigate Ship class

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HNLMS <i>Tromp</i> (F801)

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References

  1. ↑ Saballa, Joe (7 April 2023). "Netherlands, Belgium Agree to $4.4B Anti-Submarine Frigate Deal". The Defence Post. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 "MAN Energy Solutions to supply main engines and generator sets for ASW Frigates". Defence Industry Europe. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Hill, John (5 April 2024). "RENK will provide gearbox systems to Dutch and Belgian ASW frigates". Naval Technology. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "ABB wins order with Damen Naval to supply integrated power and distribution system for ASW frigates". ABB. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "Kongsberg Maritime secures contract to supply propeller systems to Damen Naval for four Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates". Kongsberg. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Thales To Equip The New Dutch And Belgian Frigates With Leading Edge Above Water Warfare System". Thales. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  7. ↑ "NEW ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE FRIGATES ORDERED FOR NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM". The Royal Institution of naval architects. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  8. ↑ "Terma secures contract to equip Belgian and Netherlands Navy frigates with Scanter 6002 Naval Surveillance Radars". edrmagazine. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Exail to equip Royal Netherlands and Belgian Navies' Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates". edrmagazine. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "NEW ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE FRIGATES ORDERED FOR NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM". The Royal Institution of naval architects. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  11. ↑ "Leonardo to supply naval guns for Dutch-Belgian ASW frigates". Defence Industry Europe. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  12. 1 2 Fiorenza, Nicholas (29 May 2018). "Belgium approves M-frigate replacement". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Kuijpers, Dieuwertje (5 November 2016). "Strategische armoede III: de Nederlandse marine is een zinkend schip" (in Dutch). Follow the Money. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Karremann, "Marine wil van twee naar één soort fregat".
  15. ↑ "Nederland vervangt marineschepen samen met België" (in Dutch). Dutch Ministry of Defense. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Karremann, Jaime (29 March 2018). "Vervanger M-fregatten (België en Nederland)" (in Dutch). marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  17. ↑ Karremann, Jaime (26 May 2018). "Nieuwe fregatten en mijnenjagers: dinsdag ondertekening overeenkomst" (in Dutch). marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  18. ↑ "Dutch MoD clears path for the M-frigates replacement, expects delays". 24 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "Nieuwe Anti Submarine Warfare fregatten vanaf 2029 in de vaart" [New Anti Submarine Warfare frigates to hit the seas from 2029] (Press release) (in Dutch). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  21. ↑ Staff, Naval News (2023-06-23). "The Netherlands and Belgium Sign Final Agreement for ASWF Frigates". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-06-04.

Bibliography

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