Defense has 4 new Anti Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) frigates built, 2 for the Netherlands and 2 for Belgium. These ships are equipped with 76 mm Sovraponte guns. Defense signed a contract with the Italian company Leonardo for its delivery.
Leonardo also supplies a so-called exchange gun. This spare gun can be placed directly during major maintenance as a replacement for the artillery on the ship in question. This keeps the impact force of the ship unchanged.
The guns will be delivered from early 2027.
In addition, the contract contains an option for the delivery of 3 more Sovraponte guns. 2 of these are for HNLMS Karel Doorman and HNLMS Johan de Witt. This artillery is part of the replacement of the current Goalkeeper defense system. The third cannon is for the new supply ship HNLMS Den Helder, which will be put into service in 2025.
The cannon will be placed at a later time.
The guns for the ASW frigates will be delivered from early 2027.