Off Norfolk's shore, the HNLMS De Ruyter from the Royal Netherlands Navy fired a Tomahawk missile. This represents a turning point in Dutch naval capability enhancement.
Launching a Tomahawk missile near Norfolk's shore, the Royal Netherlands Navy's De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS De Ruyter This is a vital first step in improving Dutch naval capacity for strikes.
Long-range precision-strike weapon the Tomahawk cruise missile lets naval forces target strategically far interior from the sea.
Apart from the fleets of the US and the UK, Australia and Japan are under acquisition of Tomahawk missiles.
By including Tomahawks missiles into its fleet, the Netherlands hopes to improve its naval attack capability and increase NATO's deterrent might.
Budget: The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) has set aside €2.5 billion ($2.71 billion) for cruise missile purchase. Two of the four Walrus-class submarines now in use will be housed alongside all four De Zeven Provinciër-class air defence and command frigas.
Tomahawk integration fits the Netherlands' De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates as they have superior weapons and contemporary defence systems.
40-cell Lockheed Martin Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) placed on the ships allows RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) and Standard Missile 2 Block IIIA air defence missiles to be launched.
Existing VLS infrastructure will be used to incorporate the Tomahawk capability during planned maintenance cycles.
