Technology company Thales Nederland from Hengelo will supply 1.5 billion euros in combat systems for four ultramodern German frigates. These frigates are built by Damen, the largest shipbuilder in the Netherlands. That company from Gorinchem finally won the order in June.
The total order for Damen is worth 4.6 billion euros, plus approximately 800 million in service, training, armaments and other services. About 1.5 billion of this will flow via Damen to the Dutch branch of Thales, a French company, for the combat and defense technology with which the ships are equipped.
The frigates were christened MKS 180 by the Germans: Mehrzweckkampfschiff 180, which means “multi-deployable combat ship 180”. The German Navy has hailed the state-of-the-art craft as “an all-round, versatile modular warship that offers cutting-edge superiority in naval combat.” The ship is capable of everything from humanitarian missions to anti-piracy. But “the k stands for Kampf,” or combat, the navy emphasizes.
The order was preceded by five years of bidding and negotiations. The mega order is a huge boost for Damen, after the company has seen large orders go to the competition several times in recent years. The company aims to deliver the first frigate in 2027. If the Germans are satisfied with the ships, an order for two extra copies may be added after 2032.
A salient detail is that Damen left behind the German company German Naval Yards, among others, in the tender. “This should never happen again,” said German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer earlier this year.
