Belgium and Netherlands intent on new ships
Belgium and the Netherlands plan to sign a letter of intent on the joint procurement of new frigates and mine hunters at the end of November, the Belgian Ministry of Defence confirmed.
A ministry spokesman told Shephard the ships would be procured in the framework of Belgium’s strategic vision 2030, which envisages Belgium acquiring two frigates and six mine hunters. The Netherlands will also acquire two new frigates and six mine hunters.
The letter of intent will cover joint maintenance and repairs of the ships. In the past, the two M-Frigates Belgium acquired from the Netherlands have received overhauls at
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
-
Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties
HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor could return from their current deep maintenance, but unconfirmed operational timelines leave questions over patrol capacity before the first CPSP arrives.
-
UK MoD faces ‘serious’ ASW gap as Defence Committee outlines Arctic requirements
Anti-submarine warfare, uncrewed vessels and seabed monitoring top the demand list in the Defence Committee’s High North roadmap for the 2030s.