Netherlands' future submarines to be armed with EU-supplied cruise missiles instead of US Tomahawks, local defence official says

The Royal Netherlands Navy's (RNLN) future submarines will be armed with European-developed cruise missiles due to the unavailability of US-built Tomahawk missiles, the outgoing Dutch State Secretary for Defence confirmed earlier this week.

In a letter addressed to the Dutch House of Representatives, Lieutenant Colonel Gijs Tuinman said that the navy's future Orka-class diesel-electric submarines would be equipped with cruise missiles being developed by Norwegian defence technology company Kongsberg in collaboration with a number of companies based in the EU.

Tuinman wrote that, although the Orka-class was initially intended to launch Tomahawks, the specific variant of the missile that the Dutch Ministry of Defence had planned to acquire for use on the boats had already ceased production, and that the submarine-launched version of Kongsberg's "joint strike missile" would be selected instead.

The RNLN will still receive additional Tomahawks from the US, though these will be variants that are designed for deployment aboard surface ships instead of submarines.

The RNLN intends to use the Tomahawks for striking targets deep inland from up to 1,000 kilometres offshore. Targets will include command and control facilities, anti-aircraft emplacements, and individual enemy units.

Dutch defence officials had decided to acquire the US-built missiles to expand the maritime strike capability of the RNLN's De Zeven Provinciën-class air defence and command frigates.