Dutch Defense to Spend Billions on New Frigates

The Dutch government on Friday said it would replace nearly its entire navy fleet in the coming 15 years, in a project worth several billion euros that it said would mainly benefit Dutch industry.

A large part of the project would consist of the replacement of four air defense frigates, the government said, confirming an earlier report by RTL Nieuws.

The government said it would work closely with Dutch industry in building the ships, with large roles for shipbuilder Damen and the Dutch arm of French defense company Thales, which would likely supply radar and missile guidance systems.

"This will strengthen the Dutch defense industry and will contribute to Europe's strategic autonomy," defense state secretary Christophe van der Maat said in a statement.

The first new frigate is expected to be operational by 2036, while the fourth coming into service from 2041.

The government said it hoped that countries such as Denmark, Germany and Norway, which it said were also considering replacing their frigates in the coming years, would join the project.

After years of budget cuts, the Netherlands has ramped up defence spending since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began two years ago.
The euro zone's fifth largest economy expects military spending to rise to around 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP), the minimum agreed within the NATO alliance, next year.

(Reuters - Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Alex Richardson)