The air defense and command frigates (LC frigates) will receive new anti-ship missiles. In the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) a replacement has been found for the current Harpoon anti-missile. The Ministry of Defence today signed an agreement with Norwegian supplier Kongsberg, which is expected to deliver the new missiles from 2025.
The LC frigates are currently equipped with Harpoon missiles. These can be used against medium-range ships. Given the age, the system needs to be replaced. A replacement process was started for this, in which various candidates were analysed together with TNO. The NSM came out on top.
More modern and extended range
The NSM missile system has several advantages over the Harpoon. The range is much greater and the rocket uses an advanced infrared searchhead. This makes the target easier to recognize, the missile is more precise and the chance of unintentional damage is reduced. Furthermore, the missile is difficult to detect by enemy ships due to the use of stealth properties.
An additional advantage is that several NATO partners such as Canada, Germany, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States have also selected the system. This benefits cooperation and can, for example, provide economies of scale in the future, through joint purchasing.
NATO fleet alliances
The LC frigates of The Seven Provinces class are able to protect a fleet association against enemy threats from the air. The frigates are frequently used in NATO fleets. For example, Zr.Ms. Tromp is currently the flagship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1, which will be under Dutch leadership throughout 2022.