Swedish defense company Saab and Dutch shipbuilder Damen have signed a contract to jointly export the Expeditionary C-71 submarine.
The decision builds on the consortium’s ongoing partnership to develop four new submarines to replace the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Walrus-class fleet.
Part of the collaboration will focus on boosting “the long-term prospect of employment and income” of Amsterdam’s local naval sector as the Walrus replacement initiative matures.
“Saab and Damen have been working together since 2015 to build, modernise, and maintain the new expeditionary submarine for the Royal Netherlands Navy,” Damen said. “This project is so much more than delivering four submarines.
“Dutch strategic autonomy is, given the geopolitical developments at the moment, vital in strategic projects like the submarine replacement, with the Dutch Naval base being the single remaining self-sufficient defence industry cluster in the Netherlands.”
Canadian Submarine Program
Another objective that was agreed upon was to offer the Expeditionary submarines to the Canadian military.
Ottawa is currently at the initial stage of replacing its Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines with “next-generation” vessels.
The program aims to acquire up to 12 submarines for 60 billion Canadian dollars (44.6 billion).
“This offers the Netherland government a strategic best choice in line with its Defence industry Strategy 2018, several Parliamentary Letters on this topic and the important National Sector Agenda for the Maritime Industry,” Damen wrote.
The Expeditionary C-71 Submarine
Saab revealed on its product portal that the C-71 is a “long-range, high-endurance” vessel incorporating modular design and compatibility with future mission systems to secure a naval force’s effectiveness in sub-sea warfare.
Most of the features integrated into the advanced submarine include combinations of the Collins and Blekinge-class fleets that were specifically constructed for the Royal Australian Navy and the Swedish Navy.
“Through Saab’s business arm Kockums, Sweden has a long tradition of producing world-class submarines,” Damen stated.
“For this new expeditionary design, Saab is working closely with Damen Shipyards and a range of Dutch suppliers and is supported by the United Kingdom. Four countries currently operate submarines and submarine technology designed by Saab: Sweden, Australia, Japan, and Singapore.”
