Manufacturer catalog

RDM

RDM was a Rotterdam-based Dutch shipyard and defense-industrial company whose later RDM Technology activities included military vehicle and ordnance modernization. In this catalog it is tied to the Dutch YPR-765 armored-vehicle family through sources that identify Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij/RDM and the WF & RDM organization in YPR production, integration, and PRAT anti-tank modification work.

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Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij NV began in 1902 as a Rotterdam drydock and ship-repair company and expanded into new ship construction, submarines, tankers, passenger ships, naval equipment, and heavy engineering. Its Heijplaat yard later became the RDM Rotterdam campus, while the historic company lineage passed through RSMS/RSV, state ownership after the early-1980s RSV collapse, and the later RDM Technology group.

For catalog purposes, the important point is RDM's Dutch armored-vehicle role. The National Military Museum lists Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij among the manufacturers of the YPR-765, Armamentaria describes RDM stepping into the DAF/RSV second-series production after RSV's bankruptcy, and RDM-Archief documents WF & RDM Algemene Werktuigbouw integrating TOW systems on YPR-765 PRAT vehicles for the Royal Netherlands Army.

Armored vehicle integration and modernizationNaval shipbuilding and submarinesOrdnance modernizationHeavy engineering

Notable Systems

YPR-765, Tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier family, Armored Vehicles

YPR-765

Tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier family

Dutch tracked armored-vehicle family for which sources list Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij among manufacturers and describe RDM entering the DAF/RSV second-series production chain.

Sources: National Military Museum: YPR-ERA, Armamentaria: De YPR-765 in de Koninklijke Landmacht
YPR-765, Tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier family, Armored Vehicles

YPR-765 PRAT

Tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier family

Anti-tank YPR variant; RDM-Archief describes WF & RDM Algemene Werktuigbouw assembling and installing the twin TOW system and related equipment on 273 FMC-built YPR-765 PRAT vehicles.

Sources: RDM-Archief: Modificatie 273 PRATs

Walrus-class submarines

Forecast International identifies RDM Submarine as developer and manufacturer of the Zeeleeuw/Walrus-class submarines for the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Sources: Forecast International: RDM archived report

Manufacturer History

  1. Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij founded

    RDM Rotterdam states that Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij NV was founded in 1902 to provide Rotterdam with ship-maintenance capacity before expanding into new construction.

    Sources: RDM Rotterdam: About RDM

  2. YPR-765 PRAT integration at WF & RDM

    RDM-Archief records a 1981 handover event for the first YPR-765 PRAT vehicles and describes WF & RDM Algemene Werktuigbouw's role integrating the twin TOW anti-tank system.

    Sources: RDM-Archief: Modificatie 273 PRATs

  3. RSV/RDM bankruptcy and state reorganization

    Forecast International reports the 1983 RSV and RDM bankruptcy and the reorganization of viable naval, tooling, and heavy-machinery components into RDM Nederland BV under government ownership.

    Sources: Forecast International: RDM archived report

  4. Sale to Begemann

    Forecast International reports the government sale of RDM to the Royal Begemann Group, with formal share transfer on December 20, 1991.

    Sources: Forecast International: RDM archived report

  5. RDM Holding seeks creditor protection

    Forecast International's archived report says RDM Holding sought protection from creditors in April 2004 and characterized RDM as effectively out of the defense industry.

    Sources: Forecast International: RDM archived report

Predecessors
Maatschappij De Maas
Successors
RDM Technology Holding BVRDM Rotterdam
Website links
RDM Rotterdam historyRDM-ArchiefForecast International archived RDM reportNational Military Museum YPR-ERA profile

RDM is defunct as an independent defense manufacturer, and the current RDM Rotterdam website represents the former yard's redevelopment rather than an active arms producer. The profile therefore combines current site history, archival RDM material, museum/reference material, and an archived defense-industry report for the company lineage.

Manufacturer Sources

  • RDM Rotterdam: About RDMPublisher: RDM Rotterdam | Note: Supports the current RDM Rotterdam website link, the 1902 founding context, the historic yard identity, and the current campus collaboration at the former RDM site. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Forecast International: RDM archived reportPublisher: Forecast International | Note: Archived defense-industry profile supporting RDM Technology headquarters, founding lineage, ownership changes, defense product areas, subsidiaries, vehicle and ordnance modernization work, Walrus-class submarine production, and 2004 creditor-protection context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • National Military Museum: YPR-ERAPublisher: Nationaal Militair Museum | Note: Supports the YPR-765 as a Dutch armored vehicle and lists Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij among its manufacturers. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Armamentaria: De YPR-765 in de Koninklijke LandmachtPublisher: Legermuseum / Armamentaria | Note: Supports the YPR-765 production context, including DAF/RSV second-series production and RDM entering after the RSV bankruptcy. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • RDM-Archief: Modificatie 273 PRATsPublisher: RDM-Archief | Note: Supports RDM's YPR-765 PRAT work, describing WF & RDM Algemene Werktuigbouw assembly and installation of twin TOW anti-tank systems on 273 YPR-765 PRAT vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Wikimedia Commons: RDM Onderzeebootloods 2017Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a photograph of the former RDM submarine hall at Heijplaat, published by the photographer under CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21

Produced weapons

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

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YPR-765, Tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier family, Armored Vehicles2014 Russia-Ukraine War, 2011 Sinai InsurgencyYPR-765Tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier familyBuilt in: United States / Netherlands / BelgiumThe YPR-765 and Belgian AIFV-B are closely related branches of FMC's AIFV family, a tracked infantry fighting vehicle and armored carrier derived from the M113 lineage. Dutch and Belgian vehicles combine aluminum armor with spaced steel applique, road and amphibious mobility, and variant-specific weapons ranging from a 25 mm cannon to machine guns, TOW missiles, MILAN launchers, medical-evacuation fittings, or remote weapon stations. SIPRI transfer data and Dutch official aid lists identify 353 AIFV-APC/YPR tracked armored vehicles delivered or pledged to Ukraine, and Ukrainian border-guard reporting cited by Army Recognition shows Belgian-made AIFV-B-C25 vehicles joining the same wartime AIFV/YPR family in Ukrainian service.