Beginning of the replacement process In 2013 the
Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) started the preparation process for the replacement of the s. 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.
Continued delays 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. In December 2019 the B-letter was sent to the Dutch parliament. The B-letter stated that the Dutch government wants to acquire four long range conventionally powered submarines that are versatile. 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.
Contenders The Ministry of Defence had shortlisted three bidders: •
Damen Group and
Saab Group announced that they have partnered from 2015 to jointly develop, offer and build next-generation submarines that are able to replace the current
Walrus-class submarines. It was announced on 1 June 2018 that their design will be derived from the
A26 submarine. The proposed submarine is around long with a
beam of . Furthermore, the
displacement will be around , with a complement of 34 to 42 people. The boat's armament includes six torpedo tubes and one multi-mission lock which can be used to deploy special forces. The offer includes knowledge transfer so that the
Royal Netherlands Navy can perform maintenance and upgrade the submarines during their lifespan by themselves. •
Naval Group announced that it is offering its newest submarine class, the
Barracuda class, as replacement for the
Walrus class. A version of the "Shortfin" diesel-electric variant Barracuda class was offered, the Blacksword, rather than the nuclear variant used by the
French Navy. •
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is (as of December 2019) planning to offer a
Type 212CD submarine. 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.
Winning bid 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. 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 10 September 2024 the Netherlands and Naval Group signed an industrial cooperation agreement (ICA). This binding agreement ensures that Naval Group and the Dutch defense and maritime industries will collaborate on the
Orka-class submarines. It will also result in orders for the Dutch industry that will have a total worth of approximately one billion euros. That same month, on 30 September 2024, the Delivery Agreement for the Replacement Netherlands Submarine Capability (RNSC) programme was also signed between the Dutch Ministry of Defence and Naval Group. The signing of this agreement marks the start of the replacement program.
Contracts On 16 June 2025 Naval Group and
Royal IHC signed a contract for the supply of key components for the
Orka class submarines. As part of this contract Royal IHC will be responsible for the development and delivery of high-quality modules and steel structures for all four boats. The construction of these modules is expected to start in the second half of 2026. Under the agreement RH Marine will contribute its expertise in power distribution, platform automation, and integrated system solutions. During the NIDV Exhibition Defence & Security (NEDS) in November 2025 both Nevesbu and Van Halteren Technologies (VHT) were contracted. VHT will provide for the submarines critical on-board systems, such as refrigeration and freezing systems, hydraulic power units, as well as capstans and anchor winches. Meanwhile Nevesbu will design complex subsystems. == Design ==