Orka-class submarine

The Orka-class submarine is a future submarine class currently planned for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). The submarines will replace the aging Walrus class. They will be the first submarines of the RNLN that are built at a foreign shipyard.
In 2013 the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) started the preparation process for the replacement of the Walrus-class submarines. That same year the Dutch Minister of Defence had signed letters of intent with both Norway and Germany for the development of new submarines, while there had also been talks with Norway about a Future Submarine Co-Operation. Plans were announced by Dutch Minister of Defence, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, in November 2014 to replace the Walrus-class submarines with four new submarines in 2025. Later that year it was announced that the Netherlands would continue cooperating with Norway on the procurement of new submarines, but cooperation with Germany would not continue as a result of difference in urgency. In 2015 a vision for the future of the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service was sent by the Minister of Defence to the Tweede Kamer which underlined the need for new submarines and international cooperation. Meanwhile Dutch shipbuilder Damen had announced in January that it will work together with Saab to design and build submarines. Other companies, such as the French Naval Group and German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), had also shown interest in building new submarines that could replace the Walrus-class. The A-letter, which officially starts the replacement program, was at first expected to be sent to the Tweede Kamer in 2015, and later in April 2016. While no letter was sent during this period, talks and discussions continued about what kind of submarines were needed, the amount and international cooperation. In June 2016 the A-letter was finally sent and revealed four requirements that the potentially new submarines would need to meet. At the same time it was also announced that in the next phase of the replacement program research needs to be done on how these requirements can be fulfilled. During this research four specific options will considered: expeditionary submarines, coastal submarines, submarine drones or other systems (and thus no submarines will be tendered).
By 2017, there was still no political agreement on the quantity or type of new submarines to be ordered; nor the tasks they were expected to perform. However, it seems certain that they will be replaced, since the alleged Russian threat was regarded as an incentive to invest in a new class. The Minister of Defence, however, delayed the replacement by two years, until 2027. Roughly, there are two groups in the Dutch parliament – one in favor of replacing the Walrus class by an equally capable class of large, expeditionary, diesel-electric submarine, and the other in favor of choosing a cheaper solution of smaller diesel-electrics, similar to Swedish and German submarines. It is unknown where the new boats will be built; since the Dutch RDM shipyard (the only Dutch yard capable of building submarines) is no longer in operation. The Defensienota (Defense policy for the coming years) of March 2018 revealed that the Dutch government is still planning to replace the Walrus-class submarines, with an allocated budget of more than 2.5 billion euros for the new submarines. Additional information on how to proceed with the replacement was expected at the end of 2018, when the Dutch Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld, was to send a so-called B-letter to the Dutch parliament. Minister Bijleveld also underlined in an interview that the new submarines should have the same niche capabilities as the current Walrus-class submarines: the ability to operate and gather intelligence in both shallow water close to the coast and in deep water in the ocean. In mid-2021 it was indicated that the revised plan was to take a decision on the replacement type in 2022 and to have the first vessel in service by 2028, with the first two boats to be in service by 2031. However, by October 2021 it was reported that this timeline was no longer feasible. Instead, the Dutch Ministry of Defence signalled that the envisaged dates would have to be "substantially adjusted", likely impacting the originally proposed in-service dates for the first submarines. In April 2022 it was announced that the revised schedule for construction of the new replacement boats would likely see the first two vessels entering service in the 2034 to 2037 timeframe. As a result the two oldest Walrus-class submarines will be decommissioned and used for spare parts to keep the two youngest boats longer in service. The goal is to keep two boats operational and prevent a capability gap.
On 16 November 2022 the next phase in the program was started when DMO delivered the request for quotation (RfQ) to the three remaining yards. The proposals had to be submitted before 28 July 2023 with a final decision being made by the navy in late 2023 or early 2024.
The Ministry of Defence has shortlisted three bidders:
Spain's Navantia's S-80 was not accepted as a contender following the B-letter in 2019. In 2022 the Spanish Ministry of Defence sent a letter to the Dutch DMO for Navantia to be allowed to put in an offer following a RfQ sent to the remaining contenders, in which some of the requirements have changed. It is rumoured that the request was denied by DMO.
On 15 March 2024 State Secretary for Defence Christophe van der Maat officially announced that Naval Group had been selected as the winning bid. The first two submarines will be delivered within ten years after the contract has been signed. Prior to this announcement, the winner was already leaked to several media outlets, which caused political backlash for choosing a foreign yard over a Dutch one. In April 2024, it was announced which ten Dutch companies and two knowledge institutions will be involved in the construction of the Orka class submarines.
On 30 September 2024 the Delivery Agreement for the Replacement Netherlands Submarine Capability (RNSC) programme was signed between the Dutch Ministry of Defence and Naval Group. The signing of this agreement marks the start of the replacement program.
The names of the new submarines were announced by Van der Maat. The class will be known as the Orka class, with the subs named Orka (Orca), Zwaardvis (Swordfish), Barracuda (Barracuda) and Tijgerhaai (Tiger shark).