The Netherlands says talks with Belgium remain active over their delayed joint antisubmarine warfare frigate program, even as reports indicate Brussels is examining European alternatives. Belgium is seeking ships that could replace its two aging frigates sooner than the troubled joint project currently promises.

Belgium’s Chief of Defence Gen. Frederik Vansina told Dutch news agency ANP that his country must receive replacement vessels on time. Belgium’s Leopold I and Louise Marie frigates are expected to reach the end of their usable lives in 2030.

Vansina said Belgium does not want to dictate terms to the Netherlands, but the country cannot afford to lose its major naval vessels. “It’s paramount for Belgium to maintain that operational capability,” Vansina told ANP. “The only naval firepower we have are those frigates.”

The Damen led project has suffered repeated delays, including problems connected to a design that increased in size and later required corrections because of structural stability issues. The first vessel was originally expected to enter service around 2025.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense now expects the first new antisubmarine warfare frigate no earlier than 2033. That schedule would leave Belgium facing a gap after its current frigates reach the end of their usable lives.

Belgium is examining whether Italian built frigates could arrive sooner, according to ANP. The country is also discussing interim options with the Netherlands, including the possibility that Damen could supply a small frigate as a temporary stopgap.

Vansina said Belgium’s contacts with other shipbuilders should not be treated as a hostile move toward the Netherlands. He said the outreach “is not abnormal and certainly not unfriendly.”

The Belgian Navy currently operates two former Dutch Karel Doorman class frigates. The ships were laid down and launched during the 1980s before Belgium purchased them secondhand from the Netherlands in 2005.

Dutch State Secretary for Defense Derk Boswijk discussed the frigate program and bilateral maritime cooperation with his Belgian counterpart earlier this week. Boswijk told parliament about the discussion in a Wednesday letter responding to questions about Belgium potentially choosing Italy’s FREMM EVO.

Boswijk and Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken met in Brussels on Sept 28. Both officials described their meeting on social media as a “good and constructive discussion,” while Boswijk said they reviewed progress across various dossiers.

“Given the commercially confidential nature of this process, we agreed not to comment on media reports regarding our cooperation,” Boswijk told parliament. The statement left the central procurement question unresolved as Belgium reviews its options.

An internal Belgian Navy analysis identified Fincantieri’s FREMM EVO frigate as the strongest alternative, according to the news website of public broadcaster VRT. The internal document said the Italian builder could deliver the first vessel in 2030 while remaining within Belgium’s €3.2 billion ($3.6 billion) budget for three ships.

Naval Group’s FDI frigate was also rated as a good option, VRT NWS reported. However, the 2030 delivery deadline remains uncertain because the shipyard is already booked with orders from France, Greece and Sweden.

The Dutch MoD said in its 2026 materiel project plan that delivery of the first new ASW frigate had slipped from 2030 to 2033 because the original design required repairs. A 2018 project letter had envisioned the first ship becoming operational around 2025.

The Netherlands and Belgium agreed in a 2018 memorandum of understanding that Belgium would receive its vessels by 2030 at the latest. By 2020, the ministry said a detailed design period of about two years would be required before construction, with delivery expected in 2027 and operational service the following year.

A 2023 procurement proposal expected physical construction to begin in 2025, although anticipated delivery had already moved back another year. The proposal also highlighted possible cooperation with Germany on F126 frigates, but that project was later scrapped following years of delays and cost overruns.

The original plan called for the Netherlands to order two frigates for its Navy and another two for Belgium. The Netherlands said in 2024 that it would increase its order to four, while Belgium announced in 2025 that it would raise its planned order to three.

Costs and ship size have also climbed. The ministry put the budget for two Dutch frigates at €1.88 billion in 2023, revised it to €1.96 billion in early 2024, and expanded the design from 5,500 tons in mid 2020 to about 6,400 tons.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conservative Scoop. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.