A Royal Netherlands Navy frigate test fired a Tomahawk guided-cruise missile off the coast of Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday ahead of introducing the missile system into Dutch service.
Meanwhile, U.K. Royal Navy helicopter crews have embarked on a Norwegian frigate to conduct ahead of the upcoming deployment of aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09 to the Indo-Pacific. In other developments, the Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH550) conducted drills with several Italian Navy ships as preparation for the joint and international exercise Mare Aperto 2025, which begins at the end of March.
On Wednesday, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) launched a Tomahawk cruise missile off the coast of Norfolk on Tuesday, marking the first time a Dutch warship fired the missile.
“With the test launch, the navy is gathering necessary information. This will eventually allow it to fire Tomahawks from the air defense and command frigates,” the release said.
The release also stated that with the Tomahawk missiles, the Royal Netherlands Navy will be able to eliminate strategic targets deep inland, providing the navy with additional combat power and contributing to the deterrence of potential adversaries.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence announced in April 2023 that Tomahawk cruise missiles had been chosen to be deployed on the four De Zeven Provinciën-class and on the Dutch submarines.
Currently, the Royal Netherlands Navy operates three Walrus-class submarines, which will be phased out by 2034 with the delivery of four Orka-class boats, a diesel-electric variant of the French Navy’s Barracuda class submarines. The Netherlands has not confirmed whether the plan to launch Tomahawk missiles from the submarines will proceed, given the Walruses’ short remaining service life and likely proprietary and technological restrictions by France and the United States on integrating the Tomahawk missiles on the Orka class.
The four De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates will be replaced by four new air defense frigates starting in 2036, with the Tomahawk capability expected to transfer to the new frigates. Outside the United States, only the U.K. operates Tomahawk missiles, though both Australia and Japan have placed orders for them, with Australia conducting a test firing of the missile off the U.S. West Coast in December last year from Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Brisbane (DDG 41). There has been no announcement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency about a requested procurement of Tomahawk missiles by the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Royal Navy personnel from No. 815 Squadron have embarked on the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Otto Sverdrup (F312) in preparation for serving aboard the sister ship HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F311) from April, with the frigate being part of the UK CSG’s escort force during the deployment to the Indo-Pacific, according to a Royal Navy release.
“The Norwegian frigate is part of the UK and international escort supporting HMS Prince of Wales as Britain’s flagship deploys to the western Pacific Rim on an eight-month mission that will deepen our defense partnerships and promote security and stability,” the release said.
Roald Amundsen will embark a Wildcat helicopter flight of ten personnel, comprising aircrew and groundcrew, with a second flight replacing the first in the summer. A Norwegian Armed Forces release stated that the fleet oiler HNoMS Maud (A530) will support the U.K. carrier strike group during part of the deployment.
In Italy, the Italian Navy aircraft carrier Cavour, along with destroyer ITS Andrea Doria (D553), frigate ITS Carabiniere (593), multipurpose combat ships ITS Francesco Morosini (P431) and ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere (P434), amphibious landing ship ITS San Giusto (L9894), fleet oiler ITS Vulcano (A5335), and Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Blas de Lezo (F-103), conducted a series of naval drills in the Gulf of Taranto to improve operational capabilities and as part of preparatory training for the Italian Navy’s joint and international exercise Mare Aperto 2025, an Italian Navy release stated on Monday.
The training included live firing gunnery exercises, formation maneuvers, Replenishment at Sea (RAS), boarding operations with teams from the San Marco Marine Brigade, maritime strike and flight activities with Italian Navy F-35B Lightning II fighters, and anti-submarine warfare training. The Italian Air Force also participated in the drills, according to the release.
“This type of exercise, characterized by high technical-tactical complexity and international interoperability, also represents an essential preparatory phase in view of the next important joint and international exercise ‘Mare Aperto 25,’ also confirming the Navy’s role as a fundamental element of national defense and a key player in the international military scenario,” the release read.
Mare Aperto 2025 is scheduled to take place from March 26 to April 18, with eight partner nations joining the exercise, which will be carried out over an area of 600,000 square kilometers, including national seas, international waters, the Lazio coast, Sardinia, Sicily, and the waters of the central Mediterranean, extending eastwards towards the island of Crete and westwards towards the Balearics, according to an Italian Navy release.
