BAE Systems to provide naval gun systems for Dutch and Belgian frigates

November 6, 2024, by Fatima Bahtić

UK defense company BAE Systems has signed a contract with the Dutch Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT) for eight Bofors 40Mk4 naval gun systems for the Royal Netherlands and Belgian navies.

The contract is part of the anti-submarine warfare frigates program – a joint venture between the Netherlands and Belgian Navies – and provides both countries with two frigates each and two naval gun systems per frigate.

It includes installation, training, documentation, spares and tools with an option for BAE Systems’ 3P programmable ammunition and additional guns for training purposes.

The first gun is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

“This key milestone will ensure the new frigates have the cutting-edge capabilities they require, with the addition of our advanced 3P ammunition,” said Stefan Löfström, marketing & sales director at BAE Systems Bofors.

According to BAE Systems, the Bofors 40Mk4 is a lightweight naval gun system designed for both air and surface targets. It can quickly switch between different types of ammunition, allowing it to handle a variety of threats from the sky, sea, or land.

The 40mm Bofors 3P shells can be programmed in six different ways, giving the system great flexibility in combat. Combining the Bofors 40mm gun with advanced ammunition technology, this system is ready for unexpected challenges, BAE noted.

In June 2023, Damen Naval was awarded the contract to design and build four ASW frigates, two for the Netherlands and two for Belgium.

In September, the Dutch government unveiled plans to increase the national defense budget, and the Dutch Ministry of Defense presented the Defence Whitepaper 2024 to order additional frigates. The ASW frigates will replace the current Karel Doorman class multipurpose frigates. While they can be deployed for multiple tasks, the emphasis will be on anti-submarine warfare.

To remind, Rohde & Schwarz was recently awarded a contract to supply its integrated communications system (ICS) for the Dutch and Belgian new ASW frigates.