Netherlands launches market consultation for North Sea surveillance radars

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched a market consultation for North Sea surveillance radars.  

In a request for information (RFI) issued on 12 April, the MoD says that it is specifically seeking radars capable of detecting the presence and movement of small surface and aerial objects. 

Following the consultation, a tender will be issued. The successful solutions will replace the existing radar surveillance capabilities in the North Sea, which the MoD says are no longer sufficient to address evolving threats. 

Operational requirements 

The RFI specifies that the radars must be continuously operational to support real‑time situational awareness. Downtime will only be acceptable for short maintenance periods. This will allow them to detect and track smaller “dark fleet” vessels that have disabled their automatic identification systems, as well as small aircraft and UAVs.  

It follows previous efforts to expand Dutch defence against hybrid threats, such as investment in new counter-UAS technology and ISR uncrewed surface vessels. 

Shared deployment responsibilities

Under the proposed model, the supplier will be responsible for the delivery and lifetime maintenance of the capability. 

However, other responsibilities for procurement will be shared between multiple organisations. 

While overall funding and procurement will remain with the MoD, after procurement, ownership will transfer to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Testing will take place onshore prior to installation. 

Some of the radars will be installed on platforms owned by Dutch government‑owned energy infrastructure company TenneT.  

The Rijkswaterstaat — the Dutch agency that oversees physical and digital infrastructure of North Sea wind farms — will also integrate multiple radars across several platforms. 

Stretching across one of Europe’s most strategically significant maritime regions, the North Sea hosts critical infrastructure including oil and gas platforms, subsea pipelines, offshore wind farms, and data cables. 

Responses to the market consultation will inform whether the MoD’s requirements can be met within budgetary and time constraints, and to identify potential suppliers and an appropriate procurement strategy. 

Responses to the RFI are due by 20 May, with feedback expected on 28 May.