Damen selects Kongsberg to supply propeller systems for ASW frigates

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Naval has selected Kongsberg Maritime Sweden to deliver controllable pitch propellers and shaft lines for the four anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates for the Netherlands and Belgium. 

As part of this contract, Kongsberg will supply four shipsets of its controllable pitch propeller systems and associated equipment including blades, hubcaps, hubs, and shaft lines.

The new ASW frigates are being built for the Netherlands and Belgium and will replace the current Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigates.

They will be deployed for a wide variety of tasks, with anti-submarine warfare as their main purpose. The ships will have hybrid diesel-electric propulsion and will be designed to operate as quietly as possible.

The first ship is expected to be delivered by Damen Naval in 2028.

“It is great news to have Kongsberg Maritime involved in the ASWF project as well,” said Damen Naval Director Corporate Strategy and Innovation Richard Keulen.

“Kongsberg Maritime is proud to have been selected as a partner for this significant Damen Naval frigate programme. The propulsion system for the new frigates has been optimised to match the customers’ strict mission requirements, particularly for noise signature, which is a crucial factor in anti-submarine warfare operations,” Björn ten Eicken, Vice President – Naval, Kongsberg Maritime, added.

This is the second collaboration between Damen Naval and Kongsberg Maritime in the past 18 months and follows a similar contract signed by the companies in September 2022 for the German navy’s F126 frigates.