The Black Sword Barracuda, a proposal by Naval Group, has been chosen by the Dutch Ministry of Defense and Royal IHC for their WRES program. This program is designed to replace four Walrus-type submarines at a projected cost of around 2.5 billion euros.
The proposal outperformed the likes of Damen and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), securing its position as the chosen program. The selection came about due to Naval Group's offer being the most competitive in terms of submarine construction and maintenance.
Legal Action from TKMS
TKMS, not satisfied with the decision, has decided to take legal action against the Dutch Ministry of Defense. They believe that the Dutch government did not entirely abide by the procedural rules. TKMS is also in need of a large order book for its partial takeover by other investors.
The Future of the Project
Despite the legal dispute, the submarine replacement project is not predicted to see delays. Work will carry on pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
Damen’s Strategy
Unlike TKMS, Damen decided not to pursue legal action. Instead, they aim to influence parliamentarians to challenge the decision. The parliamentarians hold power to either validate or overturn the Ministry's decision, which Damen seeks to leverage.