Belgium, Netherlands to buy 16 warships jointly: report
Belgium and the Netherlands have agreed to buy 16 military ships jointly for an estimated cost of around €4 billion euros ($4.7 billion), reports said.
Dutch defence minister Ank Bijleveld and his Belgian counterpart Steven Vandeput, in Brussels for a NATO meeting, signed an MoU to begin the purchase procedure, the Belga news agency said, citing Vandeput.
The agreement calls for four frigates, which would built in the Netherlands, and 12 minehunters, with 16 ships to be split evenly between the two sides.
Bids have been requested from Dutch builder Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and the Dutch affiliate of French group Thales, the Dutch ANP news agency reported.
For Belgium, 'some candidates have already been chosen... The goal is to make a decision by the end of the year,' Laurence Mortier, a spokesman for the Belgian minister, told AFP.
The new ships should be delivered starting in 2023, the Belgian navy said.
The neighbouring countries' navies have collaborated for more than half a century and they cooperate closely in defence matters.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Outgoing US Navy Secretary names a host of vessels among his last actions in the role]()
Outgoing US Navy Secretary names a host of vessels among his last actions in the role
The outgoing US Secretary of the Navy named destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers during his last weeks in office.
-
![Can retrofitted autonomy support cash-strapped navies?]()
Can retrofitted autonomy support cash-strapped navies?
Autonomous vessels can reduce risk to the lives of naval personnel, but could retrofitting be a faster, cheaper option?
-
![South Korea receives first Batch-III frigate and issues contracts for other vessels]()
South Korea receives first Batch-III frigate and issues contracts for other vessels
South Korea is moving ahead at speed with its frigate programme, involving both domestic heavy-hitting shipbuilders.
-
![UK-Japan meeting resolves details of Carrier Group operations]()
UK-Japan meeting resolves details of Carrier Group operations
As joint military training begins between the UK and Japan, a meeting of defence ministers plans details of a Carrier Group deployment later in the year.
-
![Spanish F-110 frigate’s new SPY-7 radar achieves successful track, keeping launch on schedule]()
Spanish F-110 frigate’s new SPY-7 radar achieves successful track, keeping launch on schedule
The SPY-7 radar will undergo testing and calibration down to its component level before it is handed over to the Spanish Navy.
-
![India commissions three new vessels]()
India commissions three new vessels
The new vessels, Nilgiri, Surat and Vagsheer, will be deployed to protect vital trade routes in the Indian Ocean.
