Editing Walrus-class submarine (section)

==Background==
In 1974, the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]] announced, through the [[Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)|Ministry of Defence's]] 10-year plan {{interlanguage link|Defensienota 1974|lt=''Defensienota 1974''|nl}}, that it wanted to replace its aging {{sclass|Dolfijn|submarine|1}}s.<ref name="defensienota1974">H. Vredeling, C.L.J. van Lent, A. Stemerdink, p. 61.</ref> Since the 1960s, the Royal Netherlands Navy had been conducting studies and research into a suitable replacement attack submarine.<ref name="GlobalSecurity">{{cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/walrus.htm|title=Walrus|work=www.globalsecurity.org | access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> This research initiative concluded that the Netherlands should build conventional diesel-electric submarines, as nuclear submarines were costly and could only be constructed, crewed, and maintained by countries with major navies such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, even with the diesel-electric submarine, the Dutch government sought to work together with international allies to reduce construction costs.<ref name="defensienota1974" />

[[File:Bouw van de Zeeleeuw (S803) bij de Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (2158 017232).jpg|thumb|left|The Walrus-class ''Zeeleeuw'' under construction at Rotterdam in 1987]]
Between 1975 and 1978, the design of the ''Walrus'' class was for the most part completed, and included many improvements which would result in new, state-of-the-art submarines that would mark a significant improvement over previous submarines used by the Royal Netherlands Navy.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=http://www.navyinside.nl/frontpage/onderzeeboten_walrusklasse|title=Onderzeeboten "Walrusklasse"|work=www.navyinside.nl|access-date=27 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328041240/http://www.navyinside.nl/frontpage/onderzeeboten_walrusklasse|archive-date=2018-03-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> For example, a special kind of French-produced steel was used to construct the hull of the ''Walrus''-class submarines; this steel proved to be more elastic, allowing submarines of the class to dive deeper than previous submarines.<ref>Miller and Miller (1986), p. 171.</ref> Furthermore, there was a focus on automation which was aimed at decreasing the manpower required to operate the submarines, while also making them more effective against threats.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://marineschepen.nl/schepen/walrus.html|title=Walrusklasse onderzeeboten |work=www.marineschepen.nl |date=10 November 2016 | access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

On 19 June 1979, [[Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)|Minister of Defense]] [[Willem Scholten]] signed a contract worth 425&nbsp;million [[Dutch guilder|guilders]] with the [[Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij]] (RDM) to build two submarines to replace the ''Dolfijn''-class submarines, with the construction of the second boat to commence the following year.<ref name="rdmarchiefwalrus">{{cite web|url=https://www.rdm-archief.nl/RDM-NB/RDM-348.html|title=Bouwnummer RDM-348, Hr. Ms. "Walrus", 1992, onderzeeboot. |work=www.rdm-archief.nl | access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> Soon, RDM noticed that the new submarines could not be built the same way as the {{sclass|Zwaardvis|submarine|1}}s; it had to use new techniques to build the submarines.<ref name="auto2"/> Furthermore, the design was constantly modified to incorporate new developments in the submarine world, which led to issues that slowed the building process.<ref name="auto1" /> Nonetheless, construction continued and on 11&nbsp;October 1979, {{HNLMS|Walrus|1985|6}} was laid down.<ref name="Nooteboom144" /> Two years later, on 24&nbsp;September 1981, {{HNLMS|Zeeleeuw|1987|6}} was laid down.<ref name="Amstel59" />

Unexpectedly, on 19 February 1983, [[Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij|RDM]]'s parent company [[Rijn-Schelde-Verolme]] declared bankruptcy, despite successive governments providing 2.2&nbsp;billion guilders in state aid to RSV.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/475776-rsv-debacle-viert-30ste-verjaardag.html|title=RSV-debacle viert 30ste verjaardag|language=nl|work=www.nos.nl |date=19 February 2013 | access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="anderetijdenRSV">{{cite web|url=https://anderetijden.nl/aflevering/175/De-RSV-enquete|title=De RSV-enquête|language=nl|work=www.anderetijden.nl |date=19 February 2012 | access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> This was problematic because the construction of the ''Walrus''-class submarines was far from completion. To ensure construction of the submarines continued, RDM was re-established as an independent company.<ref name="Nooteboom144" /> Furthermore, the Royal Netherlands Navy ordered an additional two ''Walrus''-class submarines earlier than planned to assist RDM financially.<ref name="auto1" /> However, at this time the ''Walrus''-class submarines were facing many problems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://leiden.courant.nu/issue/LD/1984-11-21/edition/0/page/5|title=Kamer stemt in met 'zuivering': Reorganisatie van marinetop|language=nl|work=www.leiden.courant.nu |date=21 November 1984 | access-date=22 June 2018}}</ref> One of these problems was that the specifications of the ''Walrus'' class submarines were only finalized in 1984.<ref name="MSEekelen2019">{{cite web |author=W. F. van Eekelen |url=https://militairespectator.nl/artikelen/nieuwe-onderzeeboten-nieuwe-risicos-en-nieuwe-kansen|title=Nieuwe onderzeeboten, nieuwe risico’s en nieuwe kansen|language=Dutch|website=Militaire Spectator |date=23 October 2019}}</ref> Since construction had already started by that time, the first two boats had to be lengthened by 1 meter, at a cost of 10 million Dutch guilder per boat, to fit all equipment.<ref name="MSEekelen2019" />

[[File:Onderzeeboot Hr.Ms. Walrus (S802) De Walrus gaat "op wieltjes" (2158 016772).jpg|thumb|left|''Walrus'' in 1987 following repairs after the fire which resulted in serious damage to the command centre]]
New problems arose on 14 August 1986, when the command centre of ''Walrus'' caught fire, while it was still on a scaffold in the shipyard.<ref name="auto3">de Bles, Boven and Homburg (2006), p. 104</ref> The fire lasted about five hours, and resulted in immense damage to the submarine; the command center was completely burned out.<ref name="RDMarchiefbruinvis">{{cite web|url=https://www.rdm-archief.nl/RDM-NB/RDM-353.html|title=Bouwnummer RDM-353, Hr. Ms. "Bruinvis", 1994, onderzeeboot.  |work=www.rdm-archief.nl | access-date=16 June 2018}}</ref> While some equipment could be rescued, most had to be replaced.<ref name="auto1"/> This delayed the construction of the submarines once again because the equipment that was ordered for the next boats had to be transferred to finish the ''Walrus''.<ref>Grove (1990), p. 179.</ref> The costs of the resulting damage from the fire was 225&nbsp;million guilders, which was fully covered by insurance.<ref name="RDMarchiefbruinvis" /><ref>Horneman (2018), p. 17.</ref> The exact location, origin and cause of the fire was never established.<ref name="Nooteboom148">Nooteboom (2001), p. 148.</ref> Presumably, the fire was caused in the vicinity of the corporals and men's washroom by a defect in the electrical work lighting.<ref name="Nooteboom148" /> Repairs were reported as complete in 1987,<ref name="auto2"/> but had so delayed construction of ''Walrus'' that the second submarine (with construction number 349) was put into service as the first of the class, with the name HNLMS ''Zeeleeuw'' (sea lion). HNLMS ''Walrus'' was put into service two years later. The two other boats were put into service as {{HNLMS|Dolfijn|1990|6}} and {{HNLMS|Bruinvis|1992|6}} (porpoise). The delays meant that {{HNLMS|Dolfijn|S808}}, {{HNLMS|Potvis|S804|6}} and {{HNLMS|Tonijn|S805|6}} of the ''Dolfijn'' class had to remain in service longer than planned.<ref name="RDMarchiefbruinvis" /> All the problems, delays and rising costs were eventually dubbed by the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|Dutch national parliament]] as the "Walrus-affair".<ref name="auto3"/> Nonetheless, at the time of their commissioning, the ''Walrus''-class submarines were considered to be one of the most modern and advanced conventional submarines in operation.<ref name="auto2"/>