The Netherlands has dismissed a German protest of its decision to award a $6-billion submarine contract to French shipbuilder Naval Group.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the District Court of The Hague rejected the claims made by losing bidder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and upheld the original decision.
The court did not provide specific details regarding its verdict.
With the protest dismissal, the contract to build four Orka-class submarines will remain with Naval Group and its Dutch partner Royal IHC.
The Protest
In March 2024, State Secretary for Defense Christophe van der Maat announced that Naval Group won a multibillion-dollar program to replace the country’s aging Walrus-class submarines.
He said the French firm succeeded in pitching a “balanced, versatile, and realistic” platform, while highlighting the important contributions of Dutch manufacturers.
However, TKMS filed an objection later that month, saying it had unanswered questions regarding “specific evaluation criteria.”
Though the company did not say exactly what it was questioning, it claimed that its questions were relevant to the overall evaluation of the award decision.
“This measure is a professional business procedure in such publicly tendered major projects and part of the competition,” TKMS argued.
Orka-Class Submarines
According to the Dutch defense ministry, the Orka-class submarines will be a significant improvement over the country’s Walrus class because of their new design and ability to launch cruise missiles.
They will also boast modern sensors and communication systems for collecting, analyzing, and sharing intelligence.
“Because the boats are larger than submarines designed for operations close to their home base, they can also operate independently for long periods far from home. This combination is rare and means that Dutch submarines are highly regarded within NATO,” it added.
Despite some lawmakers wanting to opt for a consortium of Swedish firm Saab and Dutch shipbuilder Damen, the decision to tap Naval Group had been widely supported in the House of Representatives.
The first two submarines in the class — the Orka and the Zwaardvis — are expected to be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy within 10 years.
