The Belgian-Dutch Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF) programme, nominally intended to deliver up to 7 new-generation frigates — 4 for the Royal Netherlands Navy and 3 for Belgium — has accumulated roughly 3 years of delays, with prospects still uncertain. The Belgian Navy would be now looking at an "Italian" alternative.
In recent days, as the Netherlands has been assessing the fallout from the cancellation of Germany's F-126 frigate programme — whose construction had been awarded to the Dutch group Damen — reports of a possible Belgian withdrawal from the project have intensified.
The 2 frigates currently operated by Belgium's small fleet, LEOPOLD I and LOUISE-MARIE, in service since 2007-2008 but completed 35 years ago as former Dutch DOORMAN-class units, cannot remain in service beyond 2030. Meanwhile, even if everything proceeds without setbacks, the first ASWF-type unit for Belgium is unlikely to be completed before 2034.
On the Dutch side, after coming close to sinking the programme entirely, attention has turned to the potential upside of the F-126 cancellation, which would allow Damen to focus on the national frigates and accelerate the schedule.
In Belgium, however, optimism is more limited. Although traditional close military cooperation with the Netherlands continues, alternative solutions are also being explored. Possible gap-filler plans are under consideration — extending the service life of the current ships, or acquiring a couple of second-hand units, though with inevitable cost implications — but the most prominent option, with unofficial contacts initiated over the summer, involves Fincantieri's FREMM EVO, recently selected by Portugal and already under construction for the Italian Navy (Marina Militare).
The choice would offer several advantages: it would fit within the €3.2 billion budget allocated by Belgium's Defense Ministry; deliveries could begin by 2030; the ships are compatible with systems already in service, including NH-90 helicopters. Above all, they are based on a platform representing a significant evolution of a fully mature ASW frigate that has been widely recognized internationally for over a decade. Timelines are tight, however, for final decisions — including those concerning possible Belgian industrial participation.
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