The contract was signed in Cherbourg by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, represented by Vice Admiral Jan Willem Hartman from COMMIT, and Naval Group. Naval Group said the agreement will make the Royal Netherlands Navy the first NATO SSK fleet to operate the F21.
“We are honoured for the selection of the F21 torpedo as one of the weapons of reference for the Orka-class submarines. With this contract, we further deepen our strategic partnership and we look forward to the next phases of our cooperation,” said Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.
“The signing of this contract for the F21 torpedo marks an important step in our strategic partnership. The weapon system will be integrated into the future Orka-class submarines, enhancing the capabilities of the Royal Netherlands Navy,” said Vice Admiral Jan Willem Hartman, Commander of COMMIT.
“We look forward to the next phases in our cooperation,” Vice Admiral Jan Willem Hartman said. The agreement also supports the next phase of the Netherlands’ Orka project.
Naval Group described the F21 as a torpedo designed to provide tactical superiority. The system was qualified in 2019 and is currently operated on French Navy SSNs and SSBNs, as well as Brazilian Navy SSKs.
The company said the F21 is the natural reference of its submarine offering. It can also be offered on other submarines, particularly for modernisation projects.
Naval Group said it supports navies in operating and maintaining their torpedoes autonomously. This includes crew training, simulators and feedback from live-fire exercises.
Naval Group also said it remains committed to engaging Netherlands industries and knowledge centres in this new phase of the Orka project. The company said this commitment will be reflected in an amendment to the existing Industrial Cooperation Agreement.
