The Royal Netherlands Navy’s first mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel, Vlissingen, has embarked on its maiden sea trials from Concarneau, France.
These trials are aimed at assessing and verifying the ship's capabilities at sea, with further trials planned to test all onboard systems before the final delivery.
The keel of the Vlissingen was laid in Lanester, France, in June 2022 and the vessel was subsequently launched in Concarneau in October 2023. It is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year.
The vessel is a part of the replacement mine countermeasure (rMCM) programme, which is being spearheaded by the Belgium Naval & Robotics, a partnership between Naval Group and Exail.
Kership, a collaboration between Piriou and Naval Group, serves as the industrial prime contractor for the initiative.
Awarded to Belgium Naval & Robotics in 2019, the programme includes 12 vessels which are all slated for delivery by the end of 2030.
The Oostende, the programme's first vessel intended for the Belgian Navy, is currently undergoing combat system trials at the Naval Group Lorient shipyard and is expected to be delivered during the summer of 2025.
The Tournai, the third vessel and the second for the Belgian Navy, is set to begin sea trials by late-2025.
The fourth vessel, the Scheveningen, for the Royal Netherlands Navy was launched in November 2024. It will be the Navy’s second rMCM ship.
Naval Group is tasked with the design of the ships, the integration of overall mission systems, and their testing and commissioning.
Kership and Chantier Piriou are responsible for the construction and assembly of the ships under Kership's industrial management.
Exail oversees the drone mission system, with most drones being produced and maintained by Exail's Belgium subsidiary in Ostend.
These MCM vessels, designed with cybersecurity in mind, deploy a mix of surface, underwater, and aerial drones.
They employ an autonomous system for mine detection, classification, identification, and neutralisation, enabling a safer and more efficient clearance of minefields.
The vessels are engineered to withstand underwater explosions and exhibit minimal acoustic, electrical, and magnetic signatures.
Specifications of these vessels include a length of 82.6m, a width of 17m, a displacement of 2,800 tonnes (t), a maximum speed of 15.3 knots, and a range exceeding 3,500 nautical miles.
They can accommodate a crew of 63 people, with a base crew of 33.
The drone capabilities encompass a suite of Exail technologies, including two uncrewed surface vehicles, three autonomous underwater vehicles, two Mine Identification & Disposal Systems, and more.
Additionally, the vessels can embark on two International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) rigid hull inflatable boats and are equipped with handling systems for surface drones or commando boats, a 15t rear crane, and a 3t overhead crane.
