Today, Royal IHC and Naval Group signed an initial contract covering the on-board accommodation module for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s new Orka-class submarines in the framework of the Replacement of the Netherlands Submarine Capability (RNSC) Programme.
As part of the contract, Royal IHC will contribute to the design of the living quarters on board the
new submarines. In a subsequent phase, Royal IHC will also be involved in the production and
installation of these quarters within the modules.
Royal IHC is one of the partners within Team ORKA, the growing network of Dutch companies that
are contributing to the construction of the new Orka-class, and brings to the project experience in
complex maritime projects, combined with specialist craftsmanship for high-quality on-board
modules.
This cooperation aligns with the Industrial Cooperation Agreement (ICA) signed by Naval Group with
the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and underlines the role of Dutch maritime expertise and
manufacturing capacity in the realisation of the Orka-class submarines. It also promotes
collaboration and knowledge exchange between the Dutch and French maritime industries.
“The signing of this contract is an important milestone for Royal IHC,” says Eric Gret, Director of
Defence at Royal IHC. “Naval Group’s confidence in our expertise and manufacturing capabilities
confirms the strength of our organisation. We are proud to be contributing to the Orka-class
submarines and look forward with confidence to our continued future collaboration with Naval
Group in the construction of complete modules.”
“For Naval Group, collaboration with Dutch industrial partners is a key part of the programme,” says
Mark Donderwinkel, Country Director Netherlands at Naval Group. “Royal IHC brings proven maritime
expertise and experience in complex projects. This first contract represents an important step in our
joint commitment to providing modern, reliable and future-proof submarine capability for the Royal
Netherlands Navy.”
