The partnership between ROYAL IHC and Naval Group as part of the modernization of the Royal netherlands navy

On 15 September 2026, a first contract was signed between Naval Group and Royal IHC for the interior fitting-out of the four new “Orka”-class submarines. The “Orka” class represents the Royal Netherlands Navy’s submarines built as part of the Walrus-class replacement program. This contract falls within the framework of the Industrial Cooperation Agreement signed between Naval Group and the Dutch Ministry of Defence, aimed at involving local Dutch companies in this project and generating economic benefits for the local economy.

This cooperation agreement helps safeguard Dutch naval expertise and thus guarantee local know-how. To ensure the smooth execution of the program, “Team Orka” was created to bring together the various local companies involved in the project, including Royal IHC.

Royal IHC’s scope of work will focus on fitting out the various internal spaces, including the crew living quarters. For its part, Naval Group will oversee the overall design as well as the construction of the four submarines.

This project represents a major milestone for both organizations. Eric Gret, Defence Director at Royal IHC, specified that signing this new contract will allow the company to take an important step forward in its development and confirm its expertise through the trust granted by Naval Group. He is already projecting a future collaboration with the group, but this time on complete module construction projects.

Enthusiasm is equally high at Naval Group. Mark Donderwinkel, Managing Director for the Netherlands, noted that collaborating with Dutch industrial partners is a key approach in the replacement program. Furthermore, Royal IHC brings strong maritime expertise and extensive experience in complex projects, justifying the legitimacy of this partnership. This collaboration is a major step forward in the project to build modern, reliable, and sustainable submarines for the Royal Netherlands Navy.