Belgium Eyes Alternatives to Damen ASWF Frigate Programme as Costs and Delays Mount
Belgium's Defence Minister Theo Francken has declared the joint Dutch-Belgian Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF) programme, led by Dutch shipbuilder Damen, is moving 'completely in the wrong direction' on delivery dates and price. The project, intended to replace ageing M-class frigates for both navies, faces a design crisis after the original hull proved insufficient, leading to a larger, more expensive design and delays pushing commissioning from around 2031 to potentially 2033-2034. Francken announced Belgium will launch a Request for Information (RFI) to other European frigate builders, explicitly naming Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Türkiye, signaling a serious search for alternatives. He emphasized that Belgium may need to make other strategic choices to avoid a capability gap, with a key decision expected in autumn 2026.
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