Repurposed for surveillance

Recent incidents in which pipelines and subsea cables have been deliberately damaged have highlighted the need for European countries to protect offshore infrastructure, and for a new type of survey and surveillance vessel dedicated to monitoring the underwater environment in areas of sovereign interest.

A notable example of this kind of vessel is Proteus, which acts as a mothership for ROVs and a suite of specialist capabilities, but others are entering service. In the Netherlands, like the UK, the government plans to invest further in offshore wind farms and to acquire new-generation vessels to protect these assets, but, in the near-term, a solution is to be provided by a converted offshore vessel, following the result of a recent tender won by a team comprising ship designer and builder Damen Shipyards Group and marine geodata specialist Fugro.

Underwater surveys

Earlier in 2025, the Dutch Ministry of Defence contracted the Damen-Fugro team to enhance maritime surveillance and security – above and below water – in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The solution proposed by the Dutch companies is based on the use of a Damen Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 5009, a vessel acquired from the offshore market, which is being upgraded with a suite of surveillance technology and assets such as above- and below-water drones that will enable the Royal Netherlands Navy to monitor vessel activity in the North Sea and survey critical underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines.