The Netherlands plans to buy a torpedo – killing torpedo as early as 2029, replace the armed forces’ standard assault rifle starting this decade and equip its heavy infantry brigade with tracked armored general-purpose vehicles, as part of 17 equipment projects for the coming years.
Total spending on the planned projects will be at least €1.45 billion (US$1.65 billion), based on the lower end of the budget range for each project, according to a so – called “A letter” from the Dutch Ministry of Defense sent to parliament on Wednesday outlining equipment requirements.
“It’s essential that the Ministry of Defense has the necessary defense equipment at its disposal in good time to increase our deterrence and be a reliable NATO ally,” State Secretary of Defense Gijs Tuinman wrote. “With this omnibus A letter, the Ministry of Defense is taking the next step toward greater flexibility and less internal bureaucracy in the procurement process.”
The Netherlands lifted its 2025 defense budget to €22 billion, after spending €21.4 billion last year. The country is in the process of renewing its fleet of air – defense frigates, anti – submarine warfare frigates and submarines, and on land is beefing up its 43 Mechanized Brigade into a heavy infantry brigade with a full – fledged tank battalion and mobile air – defense systems.
The Dutch plan to equip the future frigates, submarines and new amphibious transport vessels with a hard – kill system to defend against unmanned underwater vehicles such as drones and torpedoes. The first platform to be fitted with the anti – torpedo torpedo (ATT) system will be the anti – submarine warfare frigates, according to Tuinman.
Development of the anti-torpedo weapon from a demonstration model to a production-ready design will continue within the European Union’s Permanent Structured Cooperation through to 2028, according to the Dutch MoD. Subsequently, the Netherlands expects to acquire a “qualified ATT” starting in 2029, when the first new Dutch ASW frigate is scheduled to become operational.
The investment for the anti-torpedo torpedo is €250 million to €1 billion for the 2025-2039 period, the ministry said. Potential international military cooperation through PESCO will reduce the technical development and financial risks, according to Tuinman.
Other Navy investment projects include a replacement for the Mark 48 torpedoes for the new Orka-class submarines to be built by Naval Group, with delivery of the new torpedoes planned in the early 2030s. The Netherlands also plans to invest in unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vessels for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and to contribute to anti-submarine warfare. Both projects are in the €50 million to €250 million range.
For the land forces, the Netherlands plans to buy an estimated 100 to 150 tracked armored vehicles for use by the heavy infantry brigade in roles including transport, command, ambulance, engineering and troop transport, for between €250 million and €1 billion.
The MoD plans to buy the tracked vehicles through a negotiated procedure without tender from a single source, buying systems that are already known and have been acquired previously, Tuinman said. “This ensures that contracting can be done quickly, which benefits delivery time.”
While Tuinman didn’t provide details on the model the Dutch plan to buy, the 43 Mechanized Brigade operates the CV90 infantry combat vehicle from BAE Systems Hägglunds, alongside Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The CV90 exists in an armored-personnel carrier version that is the base for other non-turreted variants.
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- Defebse News