Belgium and the Netherlands formalised the joint purchase of four new frigates on Thursday afternoon in the port of Antwerp. Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder and her Dutch counterpart Kajsa Ollongren have signed an agreement to this effect.
The two ministers signed the memorandum on board the Dutch frigate De Ruyter in the port of Antwerp. The Netherlands thus obtained official authorisation from Belgium to conclude the contract for the construction of four new frigates (two for each navy).
The new agreement mentions an increased cost for this purchase: €2 billion for Belgium, more than what was estimated in 2018. Inflation has been taken into account, as well as Ludivine Dedonder's decision to fully equip the vessels with weapons and sensors.
In light of this increase in costs, the Netherlands has committed to strengthening industrial cooperation with Belgium in the years to come. The Netherlands will therefore place orders worth €355 million with Belgian companies.
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The new frigates classified as ASW (anti-submarine warfare) craft, specialising in submarine warfare. They will also be able to counter air and maritime threats and will serve for about 40 years. The new ships are set to replace the current M-class (multi-purpose) frigates, which were put into service in the 1990s.
The construction of the frigates, led by the Netherlands, is part of the cooperation agreement between Belgium and the Netherlands for the replacement of their fleets. Belgium will later oversee the replacement of minehunters with a new series of 12 mine countermeasures vessels (six for each navy).
