Damen Naval securing our seas

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About us

150 Years of Naval Shipbuilding in Vlissingen

Damen Naval traces its origins back to 1875 when the Royal Schelde Shipyard (Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde, KMS) was founded in Vlissingen. Strategically located with direct access to the North Sea via the Schelde River, De Schelde established itself as a cornerstone of craftsmanship and naval shipbuilding in the Netherlands. In 2000, this heritage entered a new chapter as Damen Naval, the dedicated naval division of the Damen Shipyards Group.

In 2025, we celebrate a double anniversary: 150 years since the founding of the Royal Schelde and 25 years as Damen Naval, the Netherlands’ sole naval original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Over 150 years, we have delivered over 420 vessels worldwide, as a trusted designer, engineer, builder, integrator, and service provider throughout the ship’s entire lifecycle.

As we celebrate our heritage, we continue to chart the future, designing and delivering ships to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

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Serving navies all over the world

Mission ready. Proven & reliable

Our vessels

Our markets

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Naval local building

Damen & Royal Netherlands Navy

Damen Naval Germany

Damen Naval Career

Do you want to help us build the world’s best naval ships in a family-owned company with the benefits of a global multinational?

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In the spotlight

Where it all started in 1875

The first dock in Vlissingen

Royal Schelde was founded in the year 1875 and became a member of the Damen Shipyards Group in 2000. Still, under the name of Damen Naval, we produce naval vessels that have a long lifespan, by offering cutting-edge technology and cost-efficient design solutions. We are committed to helping protect the security interests of our customers at sea and providing a safe and pleasant working environment for their crews. We are dedicated to making the most of our skills to support the development of a sustainable shipbuilding industry in the client country. This includes through building on location, training and extensive knowledge transfer programmes. To ensure we meet these goals, we aim to attract and retain the best and brightest talents and invest in the latest technologies.

Naval shipbuilder and OEM

The most complex solutions for the Royal Netherlands Navy

We are proud of our long tradition of serving the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN), the launching customer of eight successive generations of Damen Combatants. This relationship continues today with the contract to build the RNLN’s new Combat Support Ship, the new Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates (ASWF) for both the Netherlands and Belgium.

Delivered more than 400 vessels since 1875

Satisfied customers all over the world

We have delivered more than 400 vessels since 1875 to satisfied customers all over the world and have earned a reputation for excellence along the way. We have achieved this status by producing vessels that have a lifespan that far exceeds the average by offering cutting-edge technology and the most cost-efficient design solutions. Our reputation is based on our reliability: we are selected for the design and build of the German Navy’s F126 frigates and we have already delivered our 10th SIGMA combatant to the export market. We are committed to helping protect the security interests of our customers at sea and providing a safe and pleasant working environment for their crews. We are dedicated to making the most of our skills to support the development of a sustainable shipbuilding industry in the client country. This includes through building on location, training and extensive knowledge transfer programmes.

The Netherlands Naval core

Triple Helix

A unique aspect of the Netherlands naval industry is the way design and construction are organised. Although Damen Naval acts as the prime contractor, it is a unique cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Navy, institutes such as the Netherlands Organisation of Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the Marine Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN), Netherlands Universities and the Dutch Maritime Industry.