AvalonThe Oostende, the first of the series of mine countermeasures vessels in the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme, intended for the Belgian Navy, began its first sea trials campaign from Concarneau on 17 July 2024. The aim is to implement and sea-test the vessel’s performance before its delivery in summer 2025. The rMCM programme is being led by Belgium Naval & Robotics, a consortium formed by Naval Group and Exail, and involves Kership (a joint venture between Piriou and Naval Group) as industrial prime contractor.

During this first sea trial, the ship’s performance will be put to the test, in particular its propulsion and navigation systems. Several test campaigns will then follow to test all the systems.

Clémence Picard-Destelan, Naval Group’s onboard manager for this test campaign, said: “This first test campaign for a production ship is a technically very important and symbolically very powerful moment: it is the first time that a ship of this type has taken to sea, and this has been possible thanks to the mobilisation of our teams and our partners since the construction of this ship was launched three years ago.”

Launched in 2021, the Oostende was launched on 29 March 2023, followed by the second ship in the series, the Vlissingen, for the Royal Netherlands Navy, on 19 October 2023, and the Tournai on 24 June 2024. The fourth ship in the series, the Scheveningen, is due to be launched in December 2024. In total, seven of the twelve ships in the series are currently under construction, at various stages of completion. Delivery of the Oostende is scheduled for summer 2025 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. Deliveries of the other ships will then be staggered until mid-2030.

Awarded in 2019 to Belgium Naval & Robotics, the consortium formed by Naval Group and Exail, the rMCM programme is a major component of European defence cooperation. Naval Group is responsible for ship design, overall integration, testing and commissioning of the mission system. The ships are built and assembled by Piriou, under the industrial project management of Kership, a joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou.  Exail is in charge of the drones mission system. Most of these drones will be produced and maintained in Belgium.

The solution acquired by the Belgian and Dutch navies represents a complete paradigm shift in the way mines are fought, with a ship and ship’s control and mine-fighting personnel remaining at a distance from the danger (stand-off). This solution also means that the speed with which the mined area can be dealt with is ten times faster than with conventional means.

These specialised mine warfare vessels will be the first to have the capacity to embark, launch or fly and reconfigure a range of surface drones (vessels of around 12 metres and 19 tonnes), underwater drones and aerial drones. The mine countermeasures vessels will use a fully robotised system to detect, classify, identify and neutralise mines. They can withstand underwater explosions and have very low acoustic, electrical and magnetic signatures, in line with the missions to be carried out.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. It’s good to see some Navies still taking counter mine warfare seriously by building these specialised vessels, rather than jack of all trades master of none approach with many larger navies are taking (which I believe is the wrong approach).
    I see the need for counter mine warfare assets in future warfare greater than at any time in the past by the explosion of drone technology, both subsurface and semi-surface.

    • It’s important to keep in mind that both the Netherlands and Belgium with small coastlines are far more susceptible to being victims of a naval mine blockade so making dedicated vessels for this purpose make sense. However for a large island continent like Australia with major ports all around our coastline a fleet of dedicated mine hunters operating from a single location (currently HMAS Waterhen, Sydney) makes considerably less sense. Since the future of MCM is unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned surface vessels, acquiring a single class of vessels that can operate both, regardless of specific operational tasking might make more sense for us Aussies. Operating from at least two bases, these probably larger vessels to could be multi-role in nature, contributing not just to MCM but also, deep sea ocean surveilance, hydrography and perhaps UUV based anti-subamrine warfare. Such vessels could be rather simple from an engineering standpoint apart from launch and recovery systems for said uncrewed systems.

      I do agree with your general sentiment that we should be doing something at least.

      • The US have proven, at great cost, via their Littoral Combat Class of ships, specifically the Independence and Freedom class, that these multi-role type of ships can not deliver capability in the mine countermeasures space.

  2. It is an interesting point that Robbo makes, one class of vessel to operate a range of UUV in the mine hunting role as well as Hydrographic and Surveying roles. Wasn’t this one of the Proposed Roles of the Arafura Class. The Fleet Review stated that as designed it was unsuited to the MCM but I’m sure that at least the Hydrographic role was one of the roles and if COOP can be used, why can’t the OPV ?

    • Yes, the original intention was to use an additional 2 Arafuras modified for MCM and hydrographic operations using remote and robotic systems. I have absolutely no idea why that was dropped in favor of the complete chaos and absence of capability that we now have.

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