It has been a long time but the MOD announced the whitepaper with planning upto 2032.
This whitepaper includes the replacement of multiple ship classes and the expansion of the tanker fleet. Down here are the so far announced procurement programmes that have been given priority:
- Karel Doorman class Multi-purpose frigates entering service in 2024 in cooperation with the Belgian Navy component 2 for each navy (4 total)
- Alkmaar (Tripartite) class minehunters replacement entering service in 2024 in cooperation with the Belgian Navy component 6 for each navy (12 total)
- Walrus class submarine replacement entering service in 2027 mutiple options are still open including a Damen-Saab submarine & Type 212CD by Germany/Norway.
- A new Combat support Ship (CSS) entering service in 2022 to replace the Amsterdam that was sold in 2014 due to budget cuts.
For the near future other plans were announced:
- Replacement of the Zeven Provincien frigates as of 2029
- Replacement of HNLMS Rotterdam as of 2030
- Replacement of HNLMS Johan de Witt as of 2032
Also most if not all smaller support ships will be replaced by 2032 so there will be a lot of work for the Dutch drawers on Shipbucket.
Future Multi-Mission Frigate / Karel Doorman replacements
These ships will be replaced in cooperation with the Belgian navy between 2024 - 2026 where a total of 4 ships will be build. The information so far has been released in parts and the design is not yet completed. The 2 artist impressions are the latest to be made public with the release of the whitepapers. The 4 ships are very likely to be build by Damen Shipyards, and will be multi-mission ships. They will form the base for the replacement of the Zeven Provincien class later on.
Like the Type 26's they will feature a mutli-mission bay to fit multiple container modules, in the aft a slipway will be added like the Holland class OPV's for a 11 m RHIB (FRISC) and likely a VDS.
On the weapons part not to much has been made public other then the shown images (previous versions showed a RAM on the hangar) and a 16 cells VLS (strike length) on the bow. No final decisions have been made on the weapons yet.
Information:
* Length: 140 - 145 m
* Displacement: >3000 t
* Crew: 110 + 70 nonlisted
Armament on the latest artist impression:
- 76 mm sovraponte
- 16 cells mk41 VLS for ESSM (posible VL-ASROC, TLAM or SM-3 have been rumored/intrest confirmed)
- 30 mm Marlin WS
- RAM Mod 2 or High Energy Laser on top of the bridge
- 8x ASuW missile, most likely NSM or LRASM as replacement for harpoon
- Rheinmetall MASS decoy launchers
- 2x 12,7 mm Hitrole RHMG
- 76 mm sovraponte on the hangar
- 1 NH-90 + 1 UAV in the hangar
Sensors will be delivered by Thales Netherlands, likely a variant of the SEAMASTER 400 radar as on the OPV/JSS + Apar block 2. For CIWS guidance a Pharos will be placed behind the RAM mod2 /HEL
Future Mine Countermeasure Motherships / Alkmaar replacements
Also these ships will be build in cooperation with the Belgian navy that has the lead in this project. The tender will be a EU public tender with the contract to be awarded in 2019, there have been a few possible suppliers that have stated theire intrest in the programme incl.:
- Damen Shipyards (NLD) : unknown design / ? t
- Saab Kockems (SWE) : MCMV 80 / 1250 t
- STX France /Socarenam / EDR shipyards (FRA / BEL) : DeviceSeas-concept / 3700 t
- BMT (UK) : Venari 85 / ? t
Due to the EU tender of this project a real impression cannot be given at this moment but some details have been announced:
The ships will be arround 80 m in length they should sail with a relative small crew and deploy a ''MCM-Toolbox'' with multiple systems that can be placed onboard depending the mission.
The toolbox will include: 2 USV's / UAV's / mine hunt and mine sweep systems. Belgium will receive the first ship in 2023.
Artist impression of what might be the Damen proposal
Future Submarine / Walrus class replacement
The Walrus class will be replaced starting from 2027 by a new class of 4 submarines. Multiple options were studied including a unmanned version but this was labeled as to expensive, the options for a coastal submarine and oceangoing submarine are still on the table with the oceangoing favorite with the navy. This project currently is a EU tender but could be a dutch project due to securtity and secret operations of the submarine fleet. For now there are 4 candidate suppliers : TKMS (GER) Type 212CD / Damen-Saab (NLD-SWE) A26 variant / Naval Group (FRA) SMX 3.0 / Navantia (SPA) S-80.
The French and Spanish are likely the first to be excluded for the tender.
Artist impression of what might be the Damen-Saab proposal
Combat Support Ship
With the decommisioning of Zuiderkruis in 2012 the RNLN only had 1 tanker Amsterdam left till 2015 when the new Joint Support Ship (JSS) Karel Doorman entered service. Due to budget cuts the Amsterdam was also decommisioned before the JSS entered service. Leaving the RNLN with only 1 tanker in service, in 2017 it was announced that a 2nd tanker was to be build.
With the publication of the whitepapers in 2018 some information was made public;
* Length: arround 180 m
* Displacement: 20,000 t
* Crew: 75 - 80 + 80 - 85 nonlisted
* Multiple helicopters can be carried
* Armament will be reduced to minimal
The ship is to be enter service in 2022 with the contract to be awarded in 2019, most likely to Damen shipyards and the ship will share a large part of its design with the JSS only this ship to be a naval tanker instead of joint ship.
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With the ''prinsjesdag'' on the 3rd Tuesday in September and the publication of the budget for the following year also including the DMO projects planning i expect alot more information arround that date to be made public. At least for the 4 projects listed above, the other projects will be part of it but are planned for later years.
I hope we can use this topic to discuss the plans of the RNLN and Belgian Naval Component and post information/artist impressions when they are made public so anyone can claim the ship for drawing on the bucket. I will keep a list of claims below this part of the post, just post it in this topic and i will try to keep the list up to date. For myself i am not interested in drawing them due to not being uptodate with new drawing styles and lack of time.
Claims
- Future Multi-Mission Frigate / Karel Doorman replacements =
Available for claim
- Future Mine Countermeasure Motherships / Alkmaar replacements =
Available for claim
- Future Submarine / Walrus class replacements =
Available for claim
- Combat Support Ship =
Available for claim
Available for claim
Claimed by [NAME/DATE]