Editing Karel Doorman-class frigate (section)

== Replacement ==
{{main|Future Surface Combatant (Koninklijke Marine)}}
The two multipurpose M-frigates which are still in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy are reaching the end of their life; they were designed to last until 2018/2023. Because of this the Dutch [[Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)|Ministry of Defence]] started design studies in 2013. The new frigates are again planned to fulfill a general purpose role with anti-submarine warfare as its specialty. However, since the Netherlands Royal Navy only owns six frigates in total by 2017, the new ships have to be able to perform well in all areas of the spectrum. This means that anti-air equipment also has to be present, in the form of VLS cells carrying Standard Missile 2 or ESSM projectiles. Due to budget cuts, the replacement program was delayed and is now projected to deliver the first ships in 2028–29.

=== First designs ===
In November 2013 on a techbase in Amsterdam a 3D-printed model of one of the designs was shown to the public. The ships were going to be, just like their predecessor, multipurpose-frigates with [[anti-submarine]] being the main task.
This new class is going to have an integrated mast made by [[Thales Nederland]]; the ships of the ''Holland'' class did also get this type of mast. At first this new class was to be replacing the ''Karel Doorman''-class vessels in 2020; however, Minister of Defence [[Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert]] had changed this date to 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marineschepen.nl/schepen/nieuwe-fregatten-2023.html|title=Vervanger Nederlandse en Belgische M-fregatten|website=Marineschepen.nl}}</ref> This was subsequently further pushed back to the end of the decade.

By 2017, it was made clear the new [[Future Surface Combatant (Koninklijke Marine)]] will be developed in cooperation with the Belgian Marine Component and at least four vessels are to be built (two for the Royal Dutch Navy and two for the Belgian Marine Component), with the possibility more will be ordered as soon as the acquisition procedure reaches a more definitive phase.