Lord Jim wrote:The Dutch do know how to build decent warships even if they do not build as many as they used to. But yet again a country is able to design a new Warship and plans to get it into serve far faster than we are managing because of our artificially slow T-26 programme.
True,it's hard for every country,it seems, to get what they want and enough of them.
France, Italy and the UK were already unable to purchase their desired numbers of first line / 'Swiss pocket knives' in the form of FREMMs or Type 26.
So second line solutions in the form of FTI, PPA and Type 31 were introduced.
Although the Type 31 is rather a 'third line' solution, being an OPV + or OPV ++.(in my opinion)
We and Belgium do not have the size or budget for high / low frigate mix. So we have to compromise.The FTI measures 122 meters and approx. 4,250 tons and can be scaled up to a length of 134 meters.
As far as I can see, the (hopefully) "good enough" solution has been found with the design of 133 meters and 5,500 tons on 24-06-20.
Which offers value for its price and is also attractive for export customers.
And here's the "proof"for that (the attractiveness for export)
International interest
And maybe there will be more than four. Because there is certainly one seriously interested "from Europe" to participate. De Waard and Zuiddam cannot say which country it concerns. "It is not public," says Zuiddam. "But a formal letter has been sent by that country. So we have to wait a while, although it can be completed within six months."
It is not new that there is interest from abroad in the replacement of the M-frigates. However, the interest is so concrete. Countries such as Portugal (which is very satisfied with the M-frigates and the current modernization) and Norway (which had ideas to replace the sunken frigate Helge Ingstad with two new frigates) have been mentioned for some time.
If three European countries purchase the same new frigates, this is very good news for the project and a special event in the history of European frigate construction
If this would happen,more countries bying the vMFF,a Batch 2 is possible
The possible "Batch 2"could replace the Hollands,2 more of these "puppies"and maybe 2 smaller patrol boats,like say a Stan 5509
That would give us 8 Frigates,2 more then we have now(looking a bit more decent as a navy)