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Wikipedia

Walrus-class submarine

January 06, 2023

The Walrus-class submarine is the only submarine class currently in operation in the Royal Netherlands Navy. The boats have been in service since 1990 and are all named after sea mammals.

Class overview
NameWalrus class
BuildersRotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij
Operators Royal Netherlands Navy
Preceded by Zwaardvis class
Costƒ500 million per unit (1992)[1]
Built1979–1992
In commission1990–present
Completed4
Active4
General characteristics
TypeDiesel-electric attack submarine
Displacement
  • 2,350 t surfaced,
  • 2,650 t submerged,
  • 1,900 t standard
Length67.73 m (222.2 ft)
Beam8.4 m (28 ft)
Draft6.6 m (22 ft)
Propulsion3 diesels, diesel-electric, 5,430 shp (4 MW), 1 shaft, 5 blades
Speed
  • 13 knots (24 km/h) surfaced,
  • 20 knots (37 km/h) submerged
Range18,500 km (10,000 nmi) at 9 kn (17 km/h)
Test depth>300 m (980 ft)
Complement50 to 55
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Surface Search Radar:
  • Signaal/Racal ZW 07
  • Sonar Systems:
  • Thomson Sintra TSM 2272 Eledone Octopus
  • GEC Avionics Type 2026 towed array
  • Thomson Sintra DUUX 5 passive ranging and intercept
Armament
  • 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (20 × Honeywell Mk 48 or Honeywell NT 37 torpedoes
  • mines,
  • UGM-84 Harpoon SSM)

History

In 1974, the Royal Netherlands Navy announced, through the Ministry of Defence's 10-year plan Defensienota 1974 [nl], that it wanted to replace its aging Dolfijn-class submarines.[2] Since the 1960s, the Royal Netherlands Navy had been conducting studies and research into a suitable replacement attack submarine.[3] This research initiative concluded that the Netherlands should build conventional diesel-electric submarines, as nuclear submarines were costly and could only be constructed, crewed, and maintained by countries with major navies such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, even with the diesel-electric submarine, the Dutch government sought to work together with international allies to reduce construction costs.[2]

Between 1975 and 1978, the design of the Walrus-class was for the most part completed, and included many improvements which would result in new, state-of-the-art submarines that would mark a significant improvement over previous submarines used by the Royal Netherlands Navy.[4] For example, a special kind of French-produced steel was used to construct the hull of the Walrus-class submarines; this steel proved to be more elastic, allowing submarines of the class to dive deeper than previous submarines. Furthermore, there was a focus on automation which was aimed at decreasing the manpower required to operate the submarines, while also making them more effective against threats.[5]

On 19 June 1979, Minister of Defense Willem Scholten signed a contract worth 425 million guilders with the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) to build two submarines to replace the Dolfijn-class submarines, with the construction of the second boat to commence the following year.[6] Soon, RDM noticed that the new submarines could not be built the same way as the Zwaardvis-class submarines; it had to use new techniques to build the submarines.[4] Furthermore, the design was constantly modified to incorporate new developments in the submarine world, which led to issues that slowed the building process.[5] Nonetheless, construction continued and on 11 October 1979, HNLMS Walrus was laid down. Two years later, on 24 September 1981, HNLMS Zeeleeuw was laid down.

Unexpectedly, on 19 February 1983, RDM's parent company Rijn-Schelde-Verolme declared bankruptcy, despite successive governments providing 2.2 billion guilders in state aid to RSV.[7][8] This was problematic because the construction of the Walrus-class submarines was far from completion. To ensure construction of the submarines continued, RDM was re-established as an independent company. Furthermore, the Royal Netherlands Navy ordered an additional two Walrus-class submarines earlier than planned to assist RDM financially.[5] However, at this time the Walrus-class submarines were facing many problems.[9]

New problems arose on 14 August 1986, when the command center of Walrus caught fire, while it was still on a scaffold in the shipyard.[10] The fire lasted about five hours, and resulted in immense damage to the submarine; the command center was completely burned out.[11] While some equipment could be rescued, most had to be replaced.[5] This delayed the construction of the submarines once again. The costs of the resulting damage was 225 million guilders, which was fully covered by insurance.[11] The exact location, origin and cause of the fire was never established. Presumably, the fire was caused in the vicinity of the corporals and men's washroom by a defect in the electrical work lighting. Repairs were reported as complete in 1987,[4] but had so delayed construction of Walrus that the second submarine (with construction number 349) was put into service as the first of the class, with the name HNLMS Zeeleeuw (sea lion). HNLMS Walrus was put into service two years later. The two other boats were put into service as HNLMS Dolfijn and HNLMS Bruinvis (porpoise). The delays meant that HNLMS Dolfijn (S808), HNLMS Potvis and HNLMS Tonijn of the Dolfijn-class had to remain in service longer than planned.[11] All the problems, delays and rising costs were eventually dubbed by the Dutch national parliament as the "Walrus-affair".[10] Nonetheless, at the time of their commissioning, the Walrus-class submarines were considered to be one of the most modern and advanced conventional submarines in operation.[4]

Design

The Walrus-class submarines are unusual in that instead of a cross-shaped assembly of stern diving planes and rudders, they mount four combined rudders and diving planes in an "X" configuration.[12] This tail configuration was first tested in 1960 on the United States Navy's USS Albacore, and has since been used by the Walrus class, all Swedish Navy submarines since the Sjöormen class, the Royal Australian Navy's Collins class, the German Navy Type 212A and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Sōryū class. The X configuration is a complex system and therefore not implemented by many other navies around the world.[3]

The submarines of the Walrus-class, when submerged, are silent and therefore difficult to detect by ships, planes and other submarines once they go into hiding.[13] This makes the boats very suitable for combating surface vessels and submarines, protecting friendly units, gathering information, providing early warning detection, and supporting special operations. The submarines can also be used to enforce international sanctions, as they did during the Yugoslav Wars.[14]

The Walrus-class submarines were specifically designed for hunting Russian submarines during the Cold War.[15] However, the Cold War had ended by the time they became operational. Nonetheless, they have provided excellent services in various international conflict situations in which the deployment of the Royal Netherlands Navy was requested.[10] Since the Dutch submarines have acquired a good reputation, they are often part of international exercises, taking part in mock battles.[13][16]

Operational history

After the Cold War, the submarines have been tasked with many highly confidential intelligence gathering operations, many of which are still classified. They have operated in the Northern Atlantic, Mediterranean Yugoslavian region, the Persian Gulf at Iran and Iraq, and the Caribbean, often upon the request of allies, including the United States.[15]

In June 2010, the Netherlands agreed to deploy one submarine to help combat piracy off the coast of Somalia.[17]

In November 2016, the Russian Navy claimed to have chased off a Walrus-class vessel from a battle group that included the Admiral Kuznetsov.[18]

Submarine command course

The Walrus-class submarines are used for the Submarine Command Course (SMCC) for both national and international candidates (including the UK, Australia and Canada), selecting and training future commanders of conventional submarines. They are highly rated, with an exceptional reputation.[19] The Royal Netherlands Navy began this course after the British Royal Navy phased out their conventional submarines.

Upgrade program

 
HNLMS Zeeleeuw being upgraded in 2014.

In 2007, the Dutch cabinet approved an upgrade of the four operational submarines and recruitment of additional crew to improve overall operational availability.[20] The upgrades were focused on near-shore operations and integration with new weapons, and include:

  • the migration from the MK 48 mod-4 torpedo to the mod-7 version
  • replacing one periscope with a non-hull-penetrating optronic mast from L-3 KEO which enables the submarine to capture HD footage, both day and night
  • addition of a mine and obstacle avoidance sonar by ELAC Nautik
  • refurbishing of the pressure hull
  • introduction of a new combat management system
  • modifications to support special operations forces

In 2013, the contract for the Walrus-class (IP-W) Conservation Program was signed.[21] The program covers the preservation of the pressure skin, the replacement of the sonar, navigation periscope and GIPSY combat system, improved communication systems and adaptations to a number of platform systems.[22] All four boats must be modernized by 2019. With the conservation program, boats can be kept operational until mid-2025. The cost of upgrading the four submarines is estimated to be 94 million euros.[23] The first boat to be upgraded was Zeeleeuw, followed by Dolfijn, Bruinvis and Walrus.[20][24][25] The upgrade of Zeeleeuw took longer than expected. Initially the upgrade was expected to have been completed by 2015, but it took until 2016 before the submarine was ready for service again. Currently, Bruinvis is being upgraded at the Den Helder naval base.[26] The Dutch navy has also begun to prepare for the replacement of the Walrus-class submarines.[27]

Replacement

Main article: Walrus-class replacement program

In November 2014, the Dutch Minister of Defence announced plans to replace the Walrus-class submarines[28] in 2025. By 2017, there was still no political agreement on the quantity or type of new submarines to be ordered, nor the tasks they were expected to perform. However, it seems certain that they will be replaced, since the alleged Russian threat was regarded an incentive to invest in a new class. The Minister of Defence, however, delayed the replacement by two years, until 2027. Roughly, there are two groups in the Dutch parliament – one in favor of replacing the Walrus-class by an equally capable class of large, expeditionary, diesel-electric submarine, and the other in favor of choosing a cheaper solution of smaller diesel-electrics, similar to Swedish and German submarines. It is unknown where the new boats will be built; since the Dutch RDM shipyard (the only Dutch yard capable of building submarines) is no longer in operation. The Defensienota (Defense policy for the coming years) of March 2018 revealed that the Dutch government is still planning to replace the Walrus-class submarines,[29] with an allocated budget of more than 2.5 billion euros for the new submarines. Additional information on how to proceed with the replacement was expected at the end of 2018, when the Dutch Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld, was to send a so-called B-letter to the Dutch parliament.[29][needs update] Minister Bijleveld also underlined in an interview that the new submarines should have the same niche capabilities as the current Walrus-class submarines: the ability to operate and gather intelligence in both shallow water close to the coast and in deep water in the ocean.[30] In mid-2021 it was indicated that a revised plan envisaged taking a replacement decision in 2022 and to have the first vessel in service by 2028, with the first two boats to be in service by 2031.[31] However, in October 2021 it was reported that this timeline was no longer feasible. Instead, the Dutch Ministry of Defence signalled that the envisaged dates would have to be "substantially adjusted", possibly incorporating a life extension refit for the existing Walrus-class boats.[32]

In April 2022 it was announced that two of the Walrus-class boats would be extended in service until the mid-2030s and that in order to do so safely a different maintenance approach would have to be adopted for the entire fleet with one of the four existing boats to be decommissioned in the short-term, followed by a second boat later. On 16 November 2022 it was revealed that Walrus will be the first boat to be decommissioned sometime in 2023.[26] The revised schedule for the construction of the new replacement boats would likely see the first two vessels entering service in the 2034 to 2037 timeframe.[33]

Contenders

The Ministry of Defence has shortlisted three bidders:[34][35]

  • Damen Group and Saab Group announced that they have partnered from 2015 to jointly develop, offer and build next-generation submarines that are able to replace the current Walrus-class submarines.[36] It was announced on 1 June 2018 that their design will be derived from the A26 submarine.[37][38] The proposed submarine is around 73 m (240 ft) long with a diameter of 8 m (26 ft). Furthermore, the weight will be around 2900 tonnes, complementing 34 to 42 people. The boat's armament includes 6 torpedo tubes and 1 multi-mission lock which can be used to deploy special forces.[37]
  • Naval Group announced that it is offering its newest submarine class, the Barracuda-class, as replacement for the Walrus-class. A version of the "Shortfin" diesel-electric variant Barracuda-class will be offered, rather than the nuclear variant used by the French Navy.[39]
  • ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is planning to offer a Type 212CD submarine.[40]

Spain's Navantia's S-80 was not accepted as a contender following the B-letter in 2019.[41] In 2022 the Spanish Ministry of Defence send a letter to the Dutch DMO for Navantia to be allowed to put in an offer following the announcement that a RFQ will be sent to the remaining contenders, in which some of the requirements have changed. It is rumoured that the request was denied by DMO. [42]

On 16 November 2022 the RFQ was sent out to the three remaining shipyards. It is expected they will submit their bids around the summer of 2023. [26][43]

Ships in class

All boats were built by RDM.

Ship Hull number Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Status
HNLMS Walrus S802 11 October 1979 28 October 1985
13 September 1989 (re-launched) 		25 March 1992 2023 (planned) In service
HNLMS Zeeleeuw S803 24 September 1981 20 June 1987 25 April 1990 In service
HNLMS Dolfijn S808 12 June 1986 25 April 1990 29 January 1993 In service
HNLMS Bruinvis S810 14 April 1988 25 April 1992 5 July 1994 In upgrade program

See also

References

  1. ^ Jaime Karremann (2013-03-15). "Hoeveel kost de Onderzeedienst?" (in Dutch). marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
  2. ^ a b H. Vredeling, C.L.J. van Lent, A. Stemerdink, pp. 61.
  3. ^ a b "Walrus". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d . www.navyinside.nl. Archived from the original on 2018-03-28. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Walrusklasse onderzeeboten". www.marineschepen.nl. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Bouwnummer RDM-348, Hr. Ms. "Walrus", 1992, onderzeeboot". www.rdm-archief.nl. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  7. ^ "RSV-debacle viert 30ste verjaardag". www.nos.nl (in Dutch). 19 February 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  8. ^ "De RSV-enquête". www.anderetijden.nl (in Dutch). 19 February 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Kamer stemt in met 'zuivering': Reorganisatie van marinetop". www.leiden.courant.nu (in Dutch). 21 November 1984. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  10. ^ a b c de Bles, Boven and Homburg, pp. 104
  11. ^ a b c "Bouwnummer RDM-353, Hr. Ms. "Bruinvis", 1994, onderzeeboot". www.rdm-archief.nl. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Walrus-Class Submarines". www.naval-technology.com. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  13. ^ a b "Onderzeeboten". www.defensie.nl (in Dutch). 2015-11-30. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  14. ^ . www.sail.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2017-12-17.
  15. ^ a b de Bles, Boven and Homburg, pp. 104–105
  16. ^ . www.defensie.nl (in Dutch). 2017-04-20. p. 35. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Onderzeeboot tegen piraten". 2010-06-22.
  18. ^ "Russia ships 'chase away' Dutch submarine in Mediterranean". BBC. 2016-11-09. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  19. ^ de Bles, Boven and Homburg, pp. 105
  20. ^ a b Twigt, André (10 February 2016). "Terug in de eredivisie". Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Imtech Marine ontvangt meerjarige opdracht voor modernisering van onderzeeboten" (in Dutch). 23 May 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  22. ^ Kesseler, André (13 May 2013). "Upgrade Nederlandse onderzeeboten van start" (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  23. ^ Karremann, Jaime (10 November 2016). "Instandhoudingsprogramma Walrusklasse (IP-W)". Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  24. ^ . December 2015. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  25. ^ Perreijn, Djenna (2 November 2017). "Mercuur en Zeeleeuw maken nieuwe start". Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  26. ^ a b c "Onderzeeboot Zr.Ms. Walrus in 2023 uit dienst" (in Dutch). Marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  27. ^ Marno de Boer (5 June 2018). "Wie mag de grootste militaire aankoop sinds de JSF gaan bouwen?". www.trouw.nl. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  28. ^ Tomkins, Richard (22 January 2015). "Swedes, Dutch partner for future submarine work". UPI.com. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  29. ^ a b "Defensienota 2018" (in Dutch). Dutch Ministry of Defense. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  30. ^ Keultjes, Hanneke; Boere, Raymond (27 March 2018). "We gaan niet oplappen, we gaan vernieuwen" (in Dutch). BNDeStem. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Dutch Navy Walrus-class submarine replacement project in progress".
  32. ^ "Netherlands' Walrus-Class Submarine Replacement Program Facing Delays". 31 October 2021.
  33. ^ "Netherlands to extend the life of Walrus class submarines". 3 April 2022.
  34. ^ "The Netherlands: 3 bidders shortlisted for submarine replacement program". Naval Today. 2019-12-16.
  35. ^ Sprenger, Sebastian (2019-12-17). "One bidder out, three remain in Dutch race to replace Walrus subs". Defense News. Sightline Media Group.
  36. ^ "Saab and Damen Team for Walrus Future Submarine Replacement Programme". www.damen.com. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  37. ^ a b "Meer details voorstel nieuwe Nederlandse onderzeeboot van Saab en Damen". www.marineschepen.nl. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  38. ^ Stichting Nederlandse Industrie voor Defensie en Veiligheid magazine editie 2-2018 (June 2018), accessed 12 June 2018, page 11-12.
  39. ^ "Franse werf Naval Group wil Nederland dieselelektrische variant van nucleaire onderzeeboot Barracuda aanbieden". www.marineschepen.nl. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  40. ^ Fiorenza, Nicholas (2019-12-16). "Netherlands downselects contenders for submarine replacement". Jane's 360.
  41. ^ "Navantia woest: redenen voor uitschakeling "slaan nergens op"" (in Dutch). Marineschepen.nl. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  42. ^ "Spanje heeft om terugkeer in race Nederlandse onderzeeboten gevraagd" (in Dutch). Marineschepen.nl. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  43. ^ "Netherlands' Submarine Replacement Program: RFQ Sent To 3 Shipbuilders". Naval News. Retrieved 22 November 2022.

Bibliography

  • Jalhay, P.C.; Wijn, J.J.A. (1997). Ik nader ongezien! De onderzeeboten van de Koninklijke Marine. Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 978-9067074629.
  • KVMO, "Nut en noodzaak onderzeeboten: deltaplan voor defensie" Marineblad Maart 2016 nr 2 Jaargang 126.
  • Boeke, S. (2006). "Onzichtbaar maar onmisbaar: De onderzeeboot en zijn proliferatie" (in Dutch). MILITAIRE SPECTATOR 175: 198–208. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  • de Bles, Harry; Boven, Graddy; Homburg, Leon (2006). Onderzeeboten!. Zaltbommel/Den Helder: Aprilis/Marinemuseum. ISBN 978-9059941304.
  • Om de veiligheid van het bestaan: defensiebeleid in de jaren 1974-1983, H. Vredeling, C.L.J. van Lent, A. Stemerdink. Defensienota 1974. Kamerstuknummer 12994 ondernummer 14. ISBN 90 12 005361.
  • Karreman, Jaime (2017). Spionage-operaties van Nederlandse onderzeeboten van 1968 tot 1991. Amsterdam: BWV Media. ISBN 978-90-826995-0-0.
  • W.H.E., van Amstel (1991). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945. Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 978-9060139974.
  • Nooteboom, S.G. (2001). Deugdelijke Schepen: marinescheepsbouw 1945-1995. Europese Bibliotheek. ISBN 9789028826373.

External links

 
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  • Walrus-class submarines

January 06, 2023
walrus, class, submarine, only, submarine, class, currently, operation, royal, netherlands, navy, boats, have, been, service, since, 1990, named, after, mammals, class, overviewnamewalrus, classbuildersrotterdamsche, droogdok, maatschappijoperators, royal, net. The Walrus class submarine is the only submarine class currently in operation in the Royal Netherlands Navy The boats have been in service since 1990 and are all named after sea mammals Class overviewNameWalrus classBuildersRotterdamsche Droogdok MaatschappijOperators Royal Netherlands NavyPreceded byZwaardvis classCostƒ500 million per unit 1992 1 Built1979 1992In commission1990 presentCompleted4Active4General characteristicsTypeDiesel electric attack submarineDisplacement2 350 t surfaced 2 650 t submerged 1 900 t standardLength67 73 m 222 2 ft Beam8 4 m 28 ft Draft6 6 m 22 ft Propulsion3 diesels diesel electric 5 430 shp 4 MW 1 shaft 5 bladesSpeed13 knots 24 km h surfaced 20 knots 37 km h submergedRange18 500 km 10 000 nmi at 9 kn 17 km h Test depth gt 300 m 980 ft Complement50 to 55Sensors and processing systemsSurface Search Radar Signaal Racal ZW 07 Sonar Systems Thomson Sintra TSM 2272 Eledone Octopus GEC Avionics Type 2026 towed array Thomson Sintra DUUX 5 passive ranging and interceptArmament4 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes 20 Honeywell Mk 48 or Honeywell NT 37 torpedoes mines UGM 84 Harpoon SSM Contents 1 History 2 Design 3 Operational history 4 Submarine command course 5 Upgrade program 6 Replacement 6 1 Contenders 7 Ships in class 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Bibliography 10 External linksHistory EditIn 1974 the Royal Netherlands Navy announced through the Ministry of Defence s 10 year plan Defensienota 1974 nl that it wanted to replace its aging Dolfijn class submarines 2 Since the 1960s the Royal Netherlands Navy had been conducting studies and research into a suitable replacement attack submarine 3 This research initiative concluded that the Netherlands should build conventional diesel electric submarines as nuclear submarines were costly and could only be constructed crewed and maintained by countries with major navies such as the United States France and the United Kingdom Nonetheless even with the diesel electric submarine the Dutch government sought to work together with international allies to reduce construction costs 2 Between 1975 and 1978 the design of the Walrus class was for the most part completed and included many improvements which would result in new state of the art submarines that would mark a significant improvement over previous submarines used by the Royal Netherlands Navy 4 For example a special kind of French produced steel was used to construct the hull of the Walrus class submarines this steel proved to be more elastic allowing submarines of the class to dive deeper than previous submarines Furthermore there was a focus on automation which was aimed at decreasing the manpower required to operate the submarines while also making them more effective against threats 5 On 19 June 1979 Minister of Defense Willem Scholten signed a contract worth 425 million guilders with the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij RDM to build two submarines to replace the Dolfijn class submarines with the construction of the second boat to commence the following year 6 Soon RDM noticed that the new submarines could not be built the same way as the Zwaardvis class submarines it had to use new techniques to build the submarines 4 Furthermore the design was constantly modified to incorporate new developments in the submarine world which led to issues that slowed the building process 5 Nonetheless construction continued and on 11 October 1979 HNLMS Walrus was laid down Two years later on 24 September 1981 HNLMS Zeeleeuw was laid down Unexpectedly on 19 February 1983 RDM s parent company Rijn Schelde Verolme declared bankruptcy despite successive governments providing 2 2 billion guilders in state aid to RSV 7 8 This was problematic because the construction of the Walrus class submarines was far from completion To ensure construction of the submarines continued RDM was re established as an independent company Furthermore the Royal Netherlands Navy ordered an additional two Walrus class submarines earlier than planned to assist RDM financially 5 However at this time the Walrus class submarines were facing many problems 9 New problems arose on 14 August 1986 when the command center of Walrus caught fire while it was still on a scaffold in the shipyard 10 The fire lasted about five hours and resulted in immense damage to the submarine the command center was completely burned out 11 While some equipment could be rescued most had to be replaced 5 This delayed the construction of the submarines once again The costs of the resulting damage was 225 million guilders which was fully covered by insurance 11 The exact location origin and cause of the fire was never established Presumably the fire was caused in the vicinity of the corporals and men s washroom by a defect in the electrical work lighting Repairs were reported as complete in 1987 4 but had so delayed construction of Walrus that the second submarine with construction number 349 was put into service as the first of the class with the name HNLMS Zeeleeuw sea lion HNLMS Walrus was put into service two years later The two other boats were put into service as HNLMS Dolfijn and HNLMS Bruinvis porpoise The delays meant that HNLMS Dolfijn S808 HNLMS Potvis and HNLMS Tonijn of the Dolfijn class had to remain in service longer than planned 11 All the problems delays and rising costs were eventually dubbed by the Dutch national parliament as the Walrus affair 10 Nonetheless at the time of their commissioning the Walrus class submarines were considered to be one of the most modern and advanced conventional submarines in operation 4 Design EditThe Walrus class submarines are unusual in that instead of a cross shaped assembly of stern diving planes and rudders they mount four combined rudders and diving planes in an X configuration 12 This tail configuration was first tested in 1960 on the United States Navy s USS Albacore and has since been used by the Walrus class all Swedish Navy submarines since the Sjoormen class the Royal Australian Navy s Collins class the German Navy Type 212A and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force s Sōryu class The X configuration is a complex system and therefore not implemented by many other navies around the world 3 The submarines of the Walrus class when submerged are silent and therefore difficult to detect by ships planes and other submarines once they go into hiding 13 This makes the boats very suitable for combating surface vessels and submarines protecting friendly units gathering information providing early warning detection and supporting special operations The submarines can also be used to enforce international sanctions as they did during the Yugoslav Wars 14 The Walrus class submarines were specifically designed for hunting Russian submarines during the Cold War 15 However the Cold War had ended by the time they became operational Nonetheless they have provided excellent services in various international conflict situations in which the deployment of the Royal Netherlands Navy was requested 10 Since the Dutch submarines have acquired a good reputation they are often part of international exercises taking part in mock battles 13 16 Operational history EditAfter the Cold War the submarines have been tasked with many highly confidential intelligence gathering operations many of which are still classified They have operated in the Northern Atlantic Mediterranean Yugoslavian region the Persian Gulf at Iran and Iraq and the Caribbean often upon the request of allies including the United States 15 In June 2010 the Netherlands agreed to deploy one submarine to help combat piracy off the coast of Somalia 17 In November 2016 the Russian Navy claimed to have chased off a Walrus class vessel from a battle group that included the Admiral Kuznetsov 18 Submarine command course EditThe Walrus class submarines are used for the Submarine Command Course SMCC for both national and international candidates including the UK Australia and Canada selecting and training future commanders of conventional submarines They are highly rated with an exceptional reputation 19 The Royal Netherlands Navy began this course after the British Royal Navy phased out their conventional submarines Upgrade program Edit HNLMS Zeeleeuw being upgraded in 2014 In 2007 the Dutch cabinet approved an upgrade of the four operational submarines and recruitment of additional crew to improve overall operational availability 20 The upgrades were focused on near shore operations and integration with new weapons and include the migration from the MK 48 mod 4 torpedo to the mod 7 version replacing one periscope with a non hull penetrating optronic mast from L 3 KEO which enables the submarine to capture HD footage both day and night addition of a mine and obstacle avoidance sonar by ELAC Nautik refurbishing of the pressure hull introduction of a new combat management system modifications to support special operations forcesIn 2013 the contract for the Walrus class IP W Conservation Program was signed 21 The program covers the preservation of the pressure skin the replacement of the sonar navigation periscope and GIPSY combat system improved communication systems and adaptations to a number of platform systems 22 All four boats must be modernized by 2019 With the conservation program boats can be kept operational until mid 2025 The cost of upgrading the four submarines is estimated to be 94 million euros 23 The first boat to be upgraded was Zeeleeuw followed by Dolfijn Bruinvis and Walrus 20 24 25 The upgrade of Zeeleeuw took longer than expected Initially the upgrade was expected to have been completed by 2015 but it took until 2016 before the submarine was ready for service again Currently Bruinvis is being upgraded at the Den Helder naval base 26 The Dutch navy has also begun to prepare for the replacement of the Walrus class submarines 27 Replacement EditMain article Walrus class replacement program In November 2014 the Dutch Minister of Defence announced plans to replace the Walrus class submarines 28 in 2025 By 2017 there was still no political agreement on the quantity or type of new submarines to be ordered nor the tasks they were expected to perform However it seems certain that they will be replaced since the alleged Russian threat was regarded an incentive to invest in a new class The Minister of Defence however delayed the replacement by two years until 2027 Roughly there are two groups in the Dutch parliament one in favor of replacing the Walrus class by an equally capable class of large expeditionary diesel electric submarine and the other in favor of choosing a cheaper solution of smaller diesel electrics similar to Swedish and German submarines It is unknown where the new boats will be built since the Dutch RDM shipyard the only Dutch yard capable of building submarines is no longer in operation The Defensienota Defense policy for the coming years of March 2018 revealed that the Dutch government is still planning to replace the Walrus class submarines 29 with an allocated budget of more than 2 5 billion euros for the new submarines Additional information on how to proceed with the replacement was expected at the end of 2018 when the Dutch Minister of Defence Ank Bijleveld was to send a so called B letter to the Dutch parliament 29 needs update Minister Bijleveld also underlined in an interview that the new submarines should have the same niche capabilities as the current Walrus class submarines the ability to operate and gather intelligence in both shallow water close to the coast and in deep water in the ocean 30 In mid 2021 it was indicated that a revised plan envisaged taking a replacement decision in 2022 and to have the first vessel in service by 2028 with the first two boats to be in service by 2031 31 However in October 2021 it was reported that this timeline was no longer feasible Instead the Dutch Ministry of Defence signalled that the envisaged dates would have to be substantially adjusted possibly incorporating a life extension refit for the existing Walrus class boats 32 In April 2022 it was announced that two of the Walrus class boats would be extended in service until the mid 2030s and that in order to do so safely a different maintenance approach would have to be adopted for the entire fleet with one of the four existing boats to be decommissioned in the short term followed by a second boat later On 16 November 2022 it was revealed that Walrus will be the first boat to be decommissioned sometime in 2023 26 The revised schedule for the construction of the new replacement boats would likely see the first two vessels entering service in the 2034 to 2037 timeframe 33 Contenders Edit The Ministry of Defence has shortlisted three bidders 34 35 Damen Group and Saab Group announced that they have partnered from 2015 to jointly develop offer and build next generation submarines that are able to replace the current Walrus class submarines 36 It was announced on 1 June 2018 that their design will be derived from the A26 submarine 37 38 The proposed submarine is around 73 m 240 ft long with a diameter of 8 m 26 ft Furthermore the weight will be around 2900 tonnes complementing 34 to 42 people The boat s armament includes 6 torpedo tubes and 1 multi mission lock which can be used to deploy special forces 37 Naval Group announced that it is offering its newest submarine class the Barracuda class as replacement for the Walrus class A version of the Shortfin diesel electric variant Barracuda class will be offered rather than the nuclear variant used by the French Navy 39 ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is planning to offer a Type 212CD submarine 40 Spain s Navantia s S 80 was not accepted as a contender following the B letter in 2019 41 In 2022 the Spanish Ministry of Defence send a letter to the Dutch DMO for Navantia to be allowed to put in an offer following the announcement that a RFQ will be sent to the remaining contenders in which some of the requirements have changed It is rumoured that the request was denied by DMO 42 On 16 November 2022 the RFQ was sent out to the three remaining shipyards It is expected they will submit their bids around the summer of 2023 26 43 Ships in class EditAll boats were built by RDM Ship Hull number Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned StatusHNLMS Walrus S802 11 October 1979 28 October 1985 13 September 1989 re launched 25 March 1992 2023 planned In serviceHNLMS Zeeleeuw S803 24 September 1981 20 June 1987 25 April 1990 In serviceHNLMS Dolfijn S808 12 June 1986 25 April 1990 29 January 1993 In serviceHNLMS Bruinvis S810 14 April 1988 25 April 1992 5 July 1994 In upgrade programSee also EditList of submarine classes in service Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine ServiceReferences Edit Jaime Karremann 2013 03 15 Hoeveel kost de Onderzeedienst in Dutch marineschepen nl Retrieved 2018 03 18 a b H Vredeling C L J van Lent A Stemerdink pp 61 a b Walrus www globalsecurity org Retrieved 22 June 2018 a b c d Onderzeeboten Walrusklasse www navyinside nl Archived from the original on 2018 03 28 Retrieved 27 March 2018 a b c d Walrusklasse onderzeeboten www marineschepen nl 10 November 2016 Retrieved 27 March 2018 Bouwnummer RDM 348 Hr Ms Walrus 1992 onderzeeboot www rdm archief nl Retrieved 22 June 2018 RSV debacle viert 30ste verjaardag www nos nl in Dutch 19 February 2013 Retrieved 22 June 2018 De RSV enquete www anderetijden nl in Dutch 19 February 2012 Retrieved 22 June 2018 Kamer stemt in met zuivering Reorganisatie van marinetop www leiden courant nu in Dutch 21 November 1984 Retrieved 22 June 2018 a b c de Bles Boven and Homburg pp 104 a b c Bouwnummer RDM 353 Hr Ms Bruinvis 1994 onderzeeboot www rdm archief nl Retrieved 16 June 2018 Walrus Class Submarines www naval technology com Retrieved 2018 06 22 a b Onderzeeboten www defensie nl in Dutch 2015 11 30 Retrieved 2018 06 22 Onderzeeboten www sail nl in Dutch Archived from the original on 2018 03 30 Retrieved 2017 12 17 a b de Bles Boven and Homburg pp 104 105 The Royal Netherlands Navy in Focus www defensie nl in Dutch 2017 04 20 p 35 Archived from the original on 2018 06 22 Retrieved 2018 06 22 Nederlandse Onderzeeboot tegen piraten 2010 06 22 Russia ships chase away Dutch submarine in Mediterranean BBC 2016 11 09 Retrieved 10 November 2016 de Bles Boven and Homburg pp 105 a b Twigt Andre 10 February 2016 Terug in de eredivisie Retrieved 23 November 2017 Imtech Marine ontvangt meerjarige opdracht voor modernisering van onderzeeboten in Dutch 23 May 2013 Retrieved 22 June 2018 Kesseler Andre 13 May 2013 Upgrade Nederlandse onderzeeboten van start in Dutch Retrieved 22 June 2018 Karremann Jaime 10 November 2016 Instandhoudingsprogramma Walrusklasse IP W Retrieved 24 November 2017 Eerste gemodificeerde Walrusklasse onderzeeboot te water een mooi project van Nevesbu December 2015 Archived from the original on 2017 12 01 Retrieved 24 November 2017 Perreijn Djenna 2 November 2017 Mercuur en Zeeleeuw maken nieuwe start Retrieved 25 November 2017 a b c Onderzeeboot Zr Ms Walrus in 2023 uit dienst in Dutch Marineschepen nl Retrieved 22 November 2022 Marno de Boer 5 June 2018 Wie mag de grootste militaire aankoop sinds de JSF gaan bouwen www trouw nl Retrieved 5 June 2018 Tomkins Richard 22 January 2015 Swedes Dutch partner for future submarine work UPI com Retrieved 3 March 2015 a b Defensienota 2018 in Dutch Dutch Ministry of Defense 26 March 2018 Retrieved 27 March 2018 Keultjes Hanneke Boere Raymond 27 March 2018 We gaan niet oplappen we gaan vernieuwen in Dutch BNDeStem Retrieved 27 March 2018 Dutch Navy Walrus class submarine replacement project in progress Netherlands Walrus Class Submarine Replacement Program Facing Delays 31 October 2021 Netherlands to extend the life of Walrus class submarines 3 April 2022 The Netherlands 3 bidders shortlisted for submarine replacement program Naval Today 2019 12 16 Sprenger Sebastian 2019 12 17 One bidder out three remain in Dutch race to replace Walrus subs Defense News Sightline Media Group Saab and Damen Team for Walrus Future Submarine Replacement Programme www damen com 20 January 2015 Retrieved 8 December 2017 a b Meer details voorstel nieuwe Nederlandse onderzeeboot van Saab en Damen www marineschepen nl 5 June 2018 Retrieved 1 June 2018 Stichting Nederlandse Industrie voor Defensie en Veiligheid magazine editie 2 2018 June 2018 accessed 12 June 2018 page 11 12 Franse werf Naval Group wil Nederland dieselelektrische variant van nucleaire onderzeeboot Barracuda aanbieden www marineschepen nl 1 May 2018 Retrieved 1 May 2018 Fiorenza Nicholas 2019 12 16 Netherlands downselects contenders for submarine replacement Jane s 360 Navantia woest redenen voor uitschakeling slaan nergens op in Dutch Marineschepen nl 20 December 2019 Retrieved 22 November 2022 Spanje heeft om terugkeer in race Nederlandse onderzeeboten gevraagd in Dutch Marineschepen nl 17 October 2022 Retrieved 22 November 2022 Netherlands Submarine Replacement Program RFQ Sent To 3 Shipbuilders Naval News Retrieved 22 November 2022 Bibliography Edit Jalhay P C Wijn J J A 1997 Ik nader ongezien De onderzeeboten van de Koninklijke Marine Amsterdam De Bataafsche Leeuw ISBN 978 9067074629 KVMO Nut en noodzaak onderzeeboten deltaplan voor defensie Marineblad Maart 2016 nr 2 Jaargang 126 Boeke S 2006 Onzichtbaar maar onmisbaar De onderzeeboot en zijn proliferatie in Dutch MILITAIRE SPECTATOR 175 198 208 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help de Bles Harry Boven Graddy Homburg Leon 2006 Onderzeeboten Zaltbommel Den Helder Aprilis Marinemuseum ISBN 978 9059941304 Om de veiligheid van het bestaan defensiebeleid in de jaren 1974 1983 H Vredeling C L J van Lent A Stemerdink Defensienota 1974 Kamerstuknummer 12994 ondernummer 14 ISBN 90 12 005361 Karreman Jaime 2017 Spionage operaties van Nederlandse onderzeeboten van 1968 tot 1991 Amsterdam BWV Media ISBN 978 90 826995 0 0 W H E van Amstel 1991 De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945 Alkmaar De Alk ISBN 978 9060139974 Nooteboom S G 2001 Deugdelijke Schepen marinescheepsbouw 1945 1995 Europese Bibliotheek ISBN 9789028826373 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walrus class submarines Walrus class submarines Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walrus class submarine amp oldid 1126637088, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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