First Belgian-Dutch Mine Countermeasure Vessel Launched

France’s Naval Group launched first of the twelve mine countermeasure vessels of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme, the M940 Oostende, intended for the Belgian Navy, on March 29.

The MCM vessels will be the first to have the capability to embark and launch a combination of surface drones, underwater drones and aerial drones.

During this day, Naval Group also laid the keel for the third of the twelve vessels, the M941 Tournai, intended for the Belgian Navy.

The first delivery is scheduled for the end of 2024 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. Deliveries will then be staggered until 2030.

This programme was awarded in 2019 to Belgium Naval & Robotics, the consortium formed by Naval Group and ECA Group, following an international competition. It provides for the supply to the Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy of twelve mine countermeasures platforms and around a hundred drones integrated inside a toolbox that will equip the vessels.

Kership, a joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou, is in charge of the production of the twelve platforms which are assembled in Concarneau and Lanester. They will be then all armed afloat by Piriou in Concarneau. Naval Group, as overall architect and prime contractor, is responsible for the design of the ships, the overall integration, and the testing and commissioning of the mission system (combat system and mine countermeasures system). ECA Group, as co-contractor, is in charge of the unmanned drones’ system. The drones will be produced in ECA Group factory (Ostend, Belgium). The maintenance of the ships will be carried out in Belgium in close collaboration between the Belgian Navy and Naval Group Belgium, with the assistance of its partner Flanders Ship Repair.

These specialised mine countermeasures (MCM) platforms are the first to have the capability to embark and launch a combination of surface drones (themselves 12-metre, 20-tonne vessels), underwater drones and aerial drones. The mine countermeasures platforms will use a mainly autonomous system for detection, classification and neutralisation of mines. They can withstand underwater explosions and have very low acoustic, electrical and magnetic signatures, in line with the missions to be carried out.

These mine countermeasure platforms have the following characteristics:

• Length: 82,6m
• Width: 17m
• Displacement: 2800t
• Maximum speed: 15,3 knots
• Range: >3500 nautical miles
• Crew: 63 people (base crew 33 people)
• Drone capabilities: ECA Group’s UMISOFT System, 2 unmanned surface vehicles (ECA Group’s Inspector 125), 3 autonomous underwater vehicles (A-18 equipped with ECA Group’s UMISAS 120 sonar), 2 towed sonars (T-18 equipped with ECA Group’s UMISAS 240 sonar), 2 Mine Identification & Disposal Systems (MIDS) systems (ECA Group’s Seascan et K-Ster C), 2 unmanned aerial vessels (UMS Skeldar’s V200), 1 ECA Group influence mine sweeping system integrating 5 CTM magnetic modules et 1 PATRIA acoustic module.
• Embarkation capacity: 2 SOLAS rigid hull inflatable boats of 7m.
• Handling: 2 side gantries with floating cradle for surface drones and commando boats, a 15t dedicated rear crane and a 3t overhead crane.