Netherlands selects Barracuda submarine as Australia looks on
An artist’s impression of the new Orka-class (Barracuda) SSKs alongside the Royal Netherlands Navy’s existing Walrus-class SSKs. This will form part of the transition for the RNLN to becoming a more expeditionary naval force. (Image: Naval Group)
With the Netherlands selecting the Barracuda design for its new Orka-class submarines, it will give Australia a chance to see what it could have had after it cancelled its conventional submarine (SSK) project based on Barracuda, opting instead for a nuclear-powered submarine (SSN).
The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 15 March in a D-Letter to Parliament it had chosen the new conventionally powered Blacksword variant of the Barracuda submarine design from French shipbuilder Naval Group.
The D-Letter stated that Naval Group was the ‘clear winner’ in its Submarine Capability Replacement Programme (programma vervanging onderzeebootcapaciteit, VOZBT).
Naval Group beat rivals from Germany where TKMS offered the Type 212CD and Sweden where Saab Kockums put forward the C718 variant of its A26 Blekinge-class design. It was felt that the Barracuda offered the best product, price and level of risk that could meet the
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