Mooring of First Mine Countermeasures Vessel in the Belgian-Dutch rMCM Programme

The Belgian Navy’s first mine countermeasures vessel, M940 Oostende, was moored for the first time in Zeebrugge on November 3, marking a key stage in the Belgian-Dutch replacement Mine CounterMeasure (rMCM) programme.

The rMCM project was awarded in 2019 to the Belgian Naval & Robotics consortium—formed by Naval Group and Exail. It includes a 20-year industrial cooperation and technology transfer plan to support Belgian industry.

Naval Group leads the vessel design, while Exail manages the unmanned systems. Construction is handled by Piriou under the industrial management of Kership, a Naval Group–Piriou joint venture. Exail Robotics Belgium produces and maintains the unmanned vehicles locally.

Nine of the eleven remaining vessels are currently under construction. Five are already afloat. The second vessel, Vlissingen, for the Royal Netherlands Navy, began sea trials in mid-2025. The third, Tournai, will begin trials in November, while the tenth, Delfzijl, started construction in late October. Deliveries are scheduled through 2030.

The 82.6-meter Oostende represents a new generation of mine countermeasure ships capable of deploying a range of surface, underwater, and aerial drones for mine detection and neutralization. The ship’s design allows stand-off operations, enabling crews to remain at a safe distance from underwater threats while improving the speed and safety of mine clearance.

The vessel can accommodate 63 personnel and has a displacement of 2,800 tonnes. It carries the UMISOFT Exail system, along with surface, underwater, and aerial drones, and multiple mine destruction and sonar units.