In 1939, the Dutch authorities decided to construct capital ships for their navy. Following lengthy discussions on what the new ship class should look like, it was determined that the main requirement was high speed. If deemed necessary, the ship needed to have a chance to avoid fighting against stronger opponents, such as Japanese Kongō-class battlecruisers. According to the project, the cruiser's displacement was 16,000 tons; she could accelerate up to 32–33 knots and carry 203 mm guns on board. But the armor of such a ship was considered insufficient by the naval committee, and the project was never completed.