Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service

The Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service, known in Dutch as the Onderzeedienst or OZD, is the specialist submarine department of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is responsible for the operation, deployment, maintenance support and crew training associated with Dutch naval submarines. Unlike a commercial brand, it is a military service organization whose identity is tied to the Netherlands' naval force, national defence responsibilities and cooperation with allied navies. The service was established on 21 December 1906, when the Netherlands commissioned its first submarine, HNLMS O 1. Its early responsibilities centered on maintaining the new vessels and preparing their crews. Submarines were initially regarded by parts of the Dutch naval establishment as technically interesting but of uncertain operational value. Practical trials and the changing strategic environment of the First World War gradually increased confidence in their usefulness. During the interwar period and the Second World War, the Dutch submarine force expanded considerably. At the beginning of the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, the service had more than twenty submarines in various states of operation, completion or deployment. Dutch submarines operated not only from the European Netherlands but also in the Caribbean and the Dutch East Indies. In the East Indies theatre, boats including HNLMS O 16 and K XVII sank Japanese vessels in 1941, although both were subsequently lost in December of that year. The wartime submarine force therefore combined offensive operations, reconnaissance and deterrence with substantial personnel and matériel losses. The postwar service inherited a heterogeneous and heavily used fleet. Damage to the naval base at Den Helder and the financial pressures associated with reconstruction and operations in the former Dutch East Indies limited the Netherlands' ability to build new submarines immediately. The service temporarily relied on prewar Dutch boats as well as submarines obtained on loan from the United Kingdom and the United States. The Dolfijn-class submarines, introduced in the early 1960s, became a central element of the force during much of the Cold War. During the Cold War, the Netherlands operated a smaller submarine fleet than before the Second World War but assigned it demanding missions within the NATO maritime system. Dutch submarines were well suited to covert reconnaissance and intelligence collection. They also participated in multinational submarine warfare exercises and conducted surveillance missions connected with regional disputes, including the confrontation surrounding West New Guinea in the early 1960s. From the 1970s into the 1990s, crews from six Dutch submarines secretly collected information on the Soviet Union; many operational details remain classified. The service was reduced in size after the 1991 Dutch defence review, which set out a reduction from six submarines to four. In the twenty-first century, the OZD has continued to combine national defence, intelligence, undersea warfare training and allied cooperation. Women became eligible to serve aboard Dutch submarines from 2020. The Netherlands has also moved toward using unmanned systems rather than its own submarines as practice targets in some anti-submarine warfare exercises. Future fleet plans include the Orka-class submarines, for which the F21 torpedo was reported as the intended weapon in place of the Mark 48. The service remains active, although its future fleet composition and capabilities depend on Dutch defence policy and procurement decisions.

The Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service was formed on 21 December 1906 from the Netherlands' emerging submarine capability. The immediate institutional context was the commissioning of HNLMS O 1, the country's first submarine. The new service was tasked with caring for submarine equipment and training the personnel required to operate it. Dutch naval officers initially remained uncertain about whether submarines were practical instruments of war, but trials and the experience of the First World War gradually strengthened the case for maintaining a dedicated submarine organization. The fleet grew during the First World War and the interwar years. By the opening of the Second World War, more than twenty Dutch submarines were available in different conditions, although only some were operational at any particular moment. On 10 May 1940, the Netherlands had three operational submarines in the home waters: HNLMS O 9, O 10 and O 13. O 11 was under repair, while O 8 and O 12 were undergoing maintenance. HNLMS O 14 and O 15 were active in the Caribbean, and additional boats were under construction. The Dutch East Indies contained a separate and significant submarine force, with fifteen operational submarines recorded there at the start of the conflict. Dutch submarines conducted combat and reconnaissance missions during the war. In the East Indies, HNLMS O 16 and K XVII sank Japanese ships in 1941, but both boats were lost in December of that year. The wartime record demonstrated the value of submarines for operating against enemy shipping and gathering information, while also exposing the service to severe operational losses. After 1945, the service faced a difficult recovery. Its remaining boats had been used intensively, the fleet consisted of several different classes and the naval base at Den Helder had suffered wartime damage. Financial constraints, including the costs of postwar operations in the Dutch East Indies, restricted new construction. In the interim, the Netherlands used surviving prewar submarines and obtained four additional boats on loan from British and American sources. Rotterdam's Waalhaven served as a temporary base, and submarine docking and maintenance took place at the RDM shipyard while Den Helder was restored. The arrival of the Dolfijn-class submarines in the early 1960s marked a major renewal. Four boats of the class formed the backbone of Dutch submarine operations for much of the Cold War and remained in service from the 1960s into the early 1990s. The Netherlands did not rebuild its submarine force to its prewar size. Instead, its submarines acquired a focused role within the NATO alliance, where their ability to operate covertly made them valuable for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and anti-submarine warfare training. The service was involved in surveillance connected with the West New Guinea dispute in the early 1960s. Three Dutch submarines patrolled near Indonesian ports to provide warning of possible action against West New Guinea. From the 1950s onward, Dutch submarines also participated in multinational submarine warfare exercises with other NATO navies. The service received a ceremonial standard from Queen Juliana on 14 July 1964. Between the 1970s and the 1990s, crews from six Dutch submarines conducted classified intelligence missions against the Soviet Union. Much of the detail concerning those missions remains undisclosed. The Dutch defence review known as Defensienota 1991 announced that the submarine fleet would be reduced from six boats to four. In later decades, the OZD continued operating as a compact specialist force rather than a large fleet. Women were permitted to serve aboard Dutch submarines from 2020. In 2021, the navy indicated that drones would replace Dutch submarines as practice targets in future anti-submarine warfare exercises, reducing wear on the manned boats and reflecting the growing role of unmanned systems. Plans for the future Orka-class submarine fleet include the reported use of F21 torpedoes instead of Mark 48 torpedoes. The service's current operational details, staffing and deployment schedules are not fully public.

• 2020

  Women admitted to submarine service

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  Women became eligible to serve aboard Royal Netherlands Navy submarines.

• 1991

  Fleet reduction announced

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  The Dutch defence review announced a reduction in the submarine fleet from six boats to four.

• 1964

  Ceremonial standard presented

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  The submarine service received a standard from Queen Juliana on 14 July.

• 1960

  Dolfijn-class era begins

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  The Dolfijn-class submarines entered service in the early 1960s and became the principal backbone of the Dutch submarine force during much of the Cold War.

• 1946

  Postwar fleet reconstituted

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  The Netherlands operated eight submarines while relying on surviving prewar boats and loans from Britain and the United States during postwar reconstruction.

• 1940

  Submarine force enters the Second World War

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  At the German invasion of the Netherlands, the service had more than twenty submarines in operation, maintenance or construction, with boats also deployed in the Caribbean and Dutch East Indies.

• 1906

  Submarine Service established

  [1]Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org

  The Onderzeedienst was established on 21 December following the commissioning of HNLMS O 1, the Netherlands' first submarine.

A small, specialist European naval submarine service emphasizing stealth, reconnaissance, intelligence collection, crew proficiency and interoperability with NATO partners.

• Submarine

  HNLMS O 1

  HNLMS O 1 was the first submarine commissioned by the Netherlands and provided the institutional trigger for creating the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service in 1906.

• Submarine class

  Dolfijn class

  The Dolfijn-class boats entered Dutch service in the early 1960s. Four submarines of the class formed the core of the service during much of the Cold War and remained active into the early 1990s.

• Future submarine class

  Orka class

  The Orka class is the planned future submarine type for the Royal Netherlands Navy. Reference material reports that these boats are intended to use F21 torpedoes rather than Mark 48 torpedoes.

• 1970Cold War Soviet intelligence missions

  North Atlantic · European waters

  From the 1970s through the 1990s, crews from six Dutch submarines carried out covert intelligence-gathering missions directed at the Soviet Union.

  Outcome. The missions remained highly classified, and many details are still not publicly available.

  Source
• 1960West New Guinea surveillance

  West New Guinea · Indonesia

  Three Dutch submarines patrolled near Indonesian ports during the West New Guinea dispute. Their purpose included providing warning of a possible invasion and supporting Dutch maritime surveillance.

  Outcome. The patrols formed part of the Netherlands' broader effort to monitor the regional confrontation; detailed operational outcomes are not fully described in the available reference.

  Source
• 1950NATO submarine warfare exercises

  NATO member states

  Beginning in the 1950s, Dutch submarines participated in multinational submarine warfare exercises with ships and submarines from other NATO navies.

  Outcome. The exercises supported alliance interoperability and developed Dutch undersea warfare proficiency.

  Source

• 2026

  Plan future Orka-class boats around F21 torpedoesGeneration change

  Background

  Planning for the future Orka-class submarine fleet included a reported change in the intended torpedo armament.

  Action taken

  The future submarines were reported as being equipped with F21 torpedoes instead of Mark 48 torpedoes.

  Aftermath

  The operational consequences depend on the final configuration and delivery of the future boats.

  Source

• 2021

  Use drones instead of Dutch submarines as exercise targetsStrategy

  Background

  The navy sought to avoid using manned submarines as practice targets during anti-submarine warfare exercises.

  Action taken

  Drones were designated to replace Dutch submarines in the relevant target-training role.

  Aftermath

  The decision reflected a greater role for unmanned systems and reduced exposure and wear for the manned submarine fleet.

  Source

• 1991

  Reduce the submarine fleet from six boats to fourStrategy

  Background

  The Dutch defence review reassessed the size and role of the post-Cold War armed forces.

  Action taken

  The Netherlands announced a reduction of the Royal Netherlands Navy submarine fleet from six submarines to four.

  Aftermath

  The submarine service continued as a smaller specialist force focused on reconnaissance, intelligence, maritime warfare and allied cooperation.

  Source

1. 1Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Serviceen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service recruitment and information pagewerkenbijdefensie.nl