Interviews with Pierre-Eric Pommelet, Naval Group's CEO, and Thierry Petit, Submarine Marketing Manager, during NEDS (Netherlands Defence and Security exhibition) 2023 in Rotterdam.
Naval Group reaffirmed its commitment to a long-lasting partnership with the Netherlands, building up on the existing cooperation. Naval Group also showcased the unique technical know-how and expertise it can offer to support the Netherlands capability requirements.
Naval Group’s Barracuda family submarine
In response to the Netherlands MOD’s Replacement Netherlands Submarine Capability (RNSC) requirement, Naval Group has been proud to reaffirm its commitment to support the overarching objectives of strategic autonomy and expeditionary capability.
To address ambitious requirements, Naval Group offering is based on the sea-proven Barracuda- family. With the highest standards of excellence, operational performance and innovation, these submarines have demonstrated their stealth, acoustic discretion and superiority. Thanks to a native scalability, they offer significant growth capabilities.
The Barracuda family offers extensive operational capabilities and the latest technologies. It is one of the world’s stealthiest submarines and it is designed to control all types of maritime spaces, from the high seas to coastal areas, and can be integrated within a naval force. Two units are already in service within the French Navy. This conventional attack submarine with a wide oceanic range allows its users to effectively defend and protect key maritime assets, both close and far from the homeland.
rMCM
Naval Group is also proud to serve the Royal Netherlands Navy requirements with the Mine Counter Measures replacement program (rMCM). This international program will deliver 6 vessels and their integrated toolbox to the Netherlands MOD. On October 19th 2023, Naval Group launched the second vessel of the program and first for the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Vlissingen.
Thanks to the latest available technologies and developments, these specialised mine countermeasures vessels (MCMV) will be fitted with top-end capabilities: embarking and launching combination of 18-ton USVs, UUVs and UAVs. Detection, identification and neutralisation of sea mines will thus be performed by unmanned assets.
This program is the foundation of an effective European cooperation: in September 2023, France, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed on a cooperation aimed at promoting synergies within the mine warfare domain. In particular, France confirmed its decision to share the design of the Belgian-Dutch MCM mothership. With this decisive step, the rMCM program became a major element of European Defence.
