THE HAGUE — March 3, 2026 : The Dutch Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the Royal Netherlands Navy will equip its future Orka-class submarines with the French F21 Mk2 heavyweight torpedo. The decision was announced on March 3, 2026, and will see the weapon integrated directly into the submarines during the construction phase rather than introduced later as a retrofit.
The move replaces earlier plans to temporarily arm the new submarines with U.S.-built Mk48 torpedoes currently used by the Navy’s Walrus-class fleet. Dutch defence officials indicated that an accelerated replacement schedule for the existing Mk48 stockpile has made it possible to adopt the F21 Mk2 from the beginning of the Orka-class program.
By integrating the torpedo system during the design and construction stages, the Ministry aims to simplify weapons integration, reduce future modernization requirements, and ensure the submarines enter service with a fully compatible and modern strike capability.
Orka-Class Submarine Program
The Orka-class program represents a complete modernization of the Netherlands’ conventional submarine force. The four submarines will replace the Walrus-class vessels that entered service during the early 1990s.
The new submarines are being built by the French shipbuilder Naval Group under a contract signed in 2024. The vessels are conventionally powered diesel-electric attack submarines derived from the Barracuda design family but adapted for non-nuclear propulsion.
The four planned boats are named:
- Orka
- Zwaardvis
- Barracuda
- Tijgerhaai
Construction of major modules is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. According to current planning, the first submarine is expected to enter operational service beginning in 2033, with the remaining vessels delivered progressively afterward.
The Orka-class submarines are designed to perform long-duration covert operations across the full spectrum of maritime conflict. Their operational roles include intelligence gathering, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), maritime strike operations, and the deployment of special forces.
The new platform incorporates modern sonar systems, advanced combat management architecture, and improvements in endurance and operational range compared with the Walrus-class boats.
Dutch defence planners have emphasized that future submarines must be capable of operating in environments increasingly shaped by unmanned systems and modern anti-torpedo countermeasures. The selection of the F21 Mk2 torpedo is intended to address these emerging operational requirements.
Selection of the F21 Mk2 Torpedo
The F21 Mk2 is a heavyweight, dual-purpose torpedo designed for both anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare missions. The system was developed in France by Naval Group in cooperation with Thales and Atlas Elektronik.
The torpedo entered operational service with the French Navy in 2018, replacing the older F17 torpedo. It has also been exported internationally, including to Brazil, which received an initial batch of the weapon in January 2020 for use with its submarine fleet.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence selected the F21 Mk2 in part because the weapon is supplied by the same company responsible for constructing the submarines. This arrangement allows the torpedo system to be integrated into the submarine platform from the start of production.
Officials stated that aligning the submarine and its primary weapon system from the outset simplifies engineering integration, reduces later upgrade requirements, and enables closer technical cooperation between the Netherlands and France in submarine operations and maintenance.
Technical Characteristics
The F21 is designed as a NATO-standard 533-millimeter heavyweight torpedo. It measures approximately 6 meters in length and weighs around 1,550 kilograms.
The weapon carries a warhead estimated at roughly 200 kilograms, using a proximity fuze detonation mechanism intended to maximize effectiveness against both submarines and large surface vessels.
Propulsion is provided by an electric motor powered by aluminum silver-oxide (AgO-Al) batteries. The system drives a contra-rotating propeller configuration, which contributes to stable underwater performance and reduced acoustic signature.
In operational terms, the torpedo can achieve speeds approaching 50 knots (approximately 93 kilometers per hour). Its engagement range can extend to approximately 57 kilometers, depending on operational conditions.
The weapon can operate across a wide depth envelope ranging from approximately 10 meters to 600 meters, allowing it to engage targets in both shallow and deep-water environments.
Guidance and Targeting
The F21 employs a combined guidance system consisting of fiber-optic wire guidance and active and passive acoustic homing.
During the initial phase of an engagement, the torpedo remains connected to the launching submarine through a fiber-optic wire link. This connection allows operators to transmit updated targeting information, modify search patterns, or redirect the torpedo during the attack.
Once the torpedo approaches the target, its onboard acoustic seeker takes over for the terminal phase. The seeker enables autonomous tracking of the target using both active and passive sonar detection modes.
The fiber-optic guidance system provides higher data bandwidth than earlier wire-guided systems and improves resistance to interference or signal disruption.
These features allow the torpedo to operate effectively in acoustically complex environments such as shallow coastal waters or regions with dense commercial shipping activity.
Comparison with the Mk48 Torpedo
The F21 Mk2 and the U.S.-built Mk48 torpedo belong to the same general category of submarine-launched heavyweight torpedoes.
Both systems are designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions and share broadly comparable performance characteristics, including engagement ranges of around 50 kilometers and maximum speeds approaching 50 knots.
However, the two systems rely on different propulsion technologies.
The Mk48, produced by Lockheed Martin, uses a thermal propulsion system powered by Otto II monopropellant, a high-energy fuel that provides sustained speed and strong performance in deep-ocean engagements.
In contrast, the F21 uses electric propulsion based on aluminum silver-oxide batteries. Electric propulsion produces a lower acoustic signature and a reduced wake, which can make detection more difficult for defensive sonar systems.
This quieter propulsion profile is particularly relevant for operations in shallow waters or coastal regions where acoustic conditions are more complex.
Development of the F21 Program
Development of the F21 torpedo began during the late 2000s under a program known as Artemis.
France initially planned to develop a derivative of the Italian Black Shark torpedo through a joint industrial arrangement. However, after changes in the industrial partnership, Naval Group continued development independently in cooperation with Thales and Atlas Elektronik.
Testing of the system began in the early 2010s. The first sea trials were conducted in February 2013, followed by an extended qualification program.
Full operational qualification was completed in June 2017 following trials conducted off the French Mediterranean coast.
The overall development program carried a budget of approximately €485 million, while early estimates placed the unit cost of each torpedo at roughly €2.3 million in 2012 currency values.
Operational Role in Dutch Submarine Warfare
Heavyweight torpedoes remain the primary strike weapon carried by conventional submarines. They are used to engage enemy submarines as well as high-value surface combatants.
The long engagement ranges provided by modern torpedoes allow submarines to launch attacks while remaining at significant stand-off distances from their targets. Wire-guided control enables operators to adjust targeting parameters throughout the engagement.
For the Royal Netherlands Navy, integrating the F21 Mk2 during submarine construction ensures that the Orka-class fleet will enter service with a modern torpedo system matched to the platform’s combat systems.
European Defence Cooperation
The selection of the F21 Mk2 also reflects broader trends in European defence procurement, particularly the growing emphasis on industrial cooperation within Europe’s defence sector.
By procuring both the submarine platform and its principal weapon from the same industrial ecosystem, the Netherlands reduces the need for complex integration work between different suppliers.
Using the same torpedo system as the French Navy also facilitates operational cooperation. Shared weapon architecture can support exchanges on tactical employment, crew training procedures, and maintenance practices.
In the context of increasing submarine activity in the North Atlantic and the protection of critical undersea infrastructure, such cooperation is expected to support joint operations and exercises within NATO’s maritime framework.
Once the Orka-class submarines enter service beginning in 2033, the Royal Netherlands Navy will operate a new generation of diesel-electric submarines designed for intelligence collection, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime strike operations in contested maritime environments. Integrating the F21 Mk2 during production ensures that the vessels deploy with a weapon system aligned with the technological requirements of modern undersea warfare.
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