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2025-05-06
Dutch Minehunter Vlissingen Begins Sea Trials
The Vlissingen, the second of the series of mine counter-measure (MCMs) vessels of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme, first intended for the Royal Netherlands Navy, began her first sea trials campaign from Concarneau, France, recently.
The goal is to implement and test at sea the vessel’s performance before its delivery at the end of 2025.
The rMCM programme is being led by Belgium Naval & Robotics, a consortium formed by Naval Group and Exail, involving Kership (a joint venture between Piriou and Naval Group) as industrial prime contractor.
On the first day of sea trials, the ship’s performance was rigorously evaluated, with particular attention given to her propulsion system and manoeuvrability. Several subsequent sea trial campaigns are scheduled to follow, during which all the vessel’s systems will be thoroughly tested.
Eight Ships Under Construction
The first vessel, Oostende, which is designated for the Belgian Navy, is presently undergoing comprehensive trials of her combat system at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient. These trials are a critical step before her delivery.
The first vessel, Oostende, which is designated for the Belgian Navy, is presently undergoing comprehensive trials of her combat system at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient. These trials are a critical step before her delivery.
Meanwhile, the initial sea trials for the Tournai, the third vessel in the programme and the second unit allocated to the Belgian Navy, are scheduled to commence soon.
The fourth vessel, Scheveningen, which is the second ship intended for the Royal Netherlands Navy, was launched in November 2024 and is progressing towards its own series of trials.
Under the rMCM programme, a total of 12 vessels have been ordered, with all expected to be delivered before the end of 2030, ensuring a robust enhancement of mine counter-measures capabilities for both navies.
Naval Collaboration
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 mission systems integration, testing and commissioning. The ships are built and assembled by Kership and Chantier Piriou, under the complete industrial management of Kership, a joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou. Exail is in charge of the drone mission system. Most of these drones will be produced and maintained in Exail Belgium subsidiary based in Ostend.
These specialised and cyber secured by design MCM vessels are the first to have the capability to embark and launch a combination of surface drones (themselves 12-metre, 19- tonne vessels), underwater drones and aerial drones.
The MCM vessels will use a mainly autonomous system for detection, classification, identification and neutralisation of mines. This approach with an unmanned integrated system enables safe and rapid clearance of mined areas — up to 10 times faster than traditional methods.
The vessels can withstand underwater explosions and have very low acoustic, electrical and magnetic signatures.
Vessel Specifications
These MCM vessels have the following characteristics:
They measure 82.6 metres in length and 17 metres in width, with a displacement of 2,800 tonnes. They can achieve a maximum speed of 15.3 knots and boast a range exceeding 3,500 nautical miles. Designed to operate with efficiency, they accommodate a total crew of 63, including a base crew of 33 personnel.
Their advanced drone capabilities are built around the Exail Umisoft Software suite, enabling them to deploy two unmanned surface vehicles (Exail Inspector 125), three autonomous underwater vehicles (A-18 with Exail UMISAS 120 sonar), two towed sonars (T-18 integrated with Exail UMISAS 240 sonar), two Mine Identification & Disposal Systems (MIDS) utilising Exail Seascan and K-Ster C, two unmanned aerial vehicles (UMS Skeldar’s V200), and one Exail influence mine sweeping system that incorporates five CTM magnetic modules and one Patria acoustic module.
They also feature an embarkation capacity for two seven-metre SOLAS rigid hull inflatable boats. For handling, they are equipped with two side launch and recovery systems for surface drones or commando boats, a dedicated 15-tonne rear crane, and a three-tonne overhead crane.
Such a combination highlights their advanced design and versatility.
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