DEN HELDER / AMSTERDAM — The lead vessel of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s (Koninklijke Marine) Walrus-class, the decommissioned submarine Ex-HNLMS Walrus (S802), departed the Den Helder Naval Base on a floating pontoon for a ship recycling yard in Amsterdam.
Officially decommissioned in October 2023 following 31 years of operational service, the vessel was stripped of reusable components, propulsion hardware, and electronics to support cannibalization and parts harvesting for the remaining active Walrus-class submarines. The transition bridges the operational gap as the Netherlands prepares for the delivery of four expeditionary Orka-class diesel-electric submarines under contract with French shipbuilder Naval Group. Deliveries for the Orka-class are scheduled to run from 2033 through 2037.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: EX-HNLMS WALRUS (S802) SUBMARINE 
* Platform Developer & Shipyard: Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM), Rotterdam
* Vessel Class & Type: Walrus-class Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine (SSK)
* Service History & Lifecycle: Commissioned 1992 | Decommissioned October 2023 | Towed for Scrapping October 2026
* Physical Dimensions & Displacement:
* Length: 67.73 meters (222 ft 3 in)
* Beam: 8.4 meters (27 ft 7 in)
* Draught: 7.0 meters (23 ft)
* Displacement: 2,450 tonnes (surfaced) | 2,800 tonnes (submerged)
* Propulsion & Power Architecture:
* Engines: 3 x SEMT Pielstick 12PA4V200VG diesel engines driving 1 x electric motor
* Speed: 11 knots (surfaced) | 20 knots (submerged)
* Operational Depth: Tested to 300 meters (980 ft)
* Tactical Systems & Armament Baseline:
* Torpedo Tubes: 4 x 21-inch (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes
* Ordnance Options: Mark 48 Mod 4 / Mod 7 CBASS torpedoes and UGM-84 Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missiles
* Modernization Replacement Program:
* Future Fleet: 4 x Orka-class (Naval Group modified Barracuda-class derivative using lithium-ion batteries)
* Delivery Window: 2033–2037
