Leonardo to supply Sovraponte guns for new ASWFs

Leonardo’s 76/62 Sovraponte medium-calibre gun will equip the new frigates. (Leonardo)

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Leonardo a contract for the supply of four 76/62 Sovraponte lightweight medium-calibre guns to equip a new class of Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF) on order for the navies of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Announced by the MoD on 20 July, the contract includes an option for additional Sovraponte mountings scheduled for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s (RNLN’s) amphibious and logistics ships. No value has been disclosed.

The Netherlands MoD – through the Materiel and IT Command (Commando Materieel en IT: COMMIT) – awarded Damen Shipyards Group a contract in June for the design, construction, and delivery of four new ASWFs – two for the RNLN and two for the Belgian Navy – to replace each navy’s existing M-class multi-purpose frigates. A second contract was awarded by COMMIT to Thales Nederland for the supply of the ships’ Above Water Warfare System fire-control cluster and sensor suite.