An industrial co-operation agreement (ICA) has been signed between the Dutch government and France’s Naval Group related to the upcoming contract for the Replacement Netherlands Submarine Capability (RNSC) programme.
The ICA was signed on 10 September 2024 at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in The Hague by Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Dirk Beljaarts and Pierre Eric Pommellet, the chairman and CEO of Naval Group. The actual contract for the RNSC programe will be signed by the Dutch Ministry of Defence in the coming weeks.
The ICA is a binding document that lays out the industrial co-operation strategy of Naval Group with the Dutch defence and maritime sector for the RNSC programme. The Netherlands selected Naval Group to deliver four new-generation expeditionary submarines, based on the Barracuda family design, in March 2024 after a competitive tender process. This new class of submarine will replace the Royal Netherlands Navy’s four Walrus-class boats.
The ICA forms an important part of the submarine programme as it contains the industrial co-operation plan involving Dutch companies and knowledge centres, with the aim of maximising strategic autonomy.
Under this agreement Naval Group will co-operate over a period of 20 years with numerous key Dutch companies and knowledge institutes. This major project already involves a combination of large companies, small/medium enterprises, high-tech companies and knowledge institutes. The agreement paves the way to a long-term partnership with the ambition to create value over the full life-cycle of the four new submarines, according to Naval Group.
“It is an honour to be in the Hague today to sign the Industrial Cooperation Agreement, which is a major step for the RNSC programme,” stated Pommellet at the signing ceremony. “This agreement lays out an ambitious co-operation between the Netherlands Defense Technological and Industrial Base (NLDTIB) and Naval Group to build the next generation of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s submarines together. We are eager to keep leveraging on this co-operation in the future. The Netherlands Defense Technological and Industrial Base delivers high-performing and niche solutions that will be widely included in this programme and I view Naval Group as extremely lucky to be able to work closely with such skilled partners within the framework of this programme and beyond, for the decades to come.”
The ICA will lead to a significant strengthening of the NLDTIB in the field of design, development and production of critical components and subsystems for state-of-the-art submarines but also surface vessels as well.
