Artist impression of the MCM
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Class overview | |
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Name | City class |
Builders |
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Operators | |
Preceded by | |
Subclasses |
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Built | 2021-present |
In commission | From 2025 onwards |
Planned | 12 |
Building | 4 |
Completed | 0 |
Active | 0 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Mine countermeasures vessel |
Displacement | 2,800 t (2,800 long tons) full load |
Length | 82.30 m (270 ft 0 in) |
Beam | 17 m (55 ft 9 in) |
Draught | 3.80 m (12 ft 6 in) |
Speed | 15.3 knots (28.3 km/h; 17.6 mph) |
Complement | 33–63 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament |
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Aircraft carried | 1 unmanned aerial vessel (UMS Skeldar’s V200) |
Notes | 2 unmanned surface vehicles (Exail Inspector 125), 3 autonomous underwater vehicles (A-18 equipped with Exail UMISAS 120 sonar) |
The Netherlands and Belgium are doing a joint procurement for the replacements of the Tripartite-class/Alkmaar-class minehunters. Each of the two countries is procuring six new mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels, which makes for a total of 12 MCM ships. The new MCM ships, developed by Naval Group, will include a range of unmanned systems including unmanned surface, aerial and underwater vehicles alongside towed sonars and mine identification and neutralization ROVs.[1]
In early 2018, the Belgian and Dutch Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint construction and financing of the ships. A list of requirements was drawn up for the new vessels. Contenders in the race were:
The contract was won by Naval Group on 15 March 2019.[3][4]
The new vessels take a new approach to their task. Instead of clearing mines directly from the ship, the ship uses unmanned systems to do this from a distance.[5]
A first steel cutting ceremony for the first-in-class ship for the Belgian Navy was held on 19 July 2021, with the keel being laid on 30 November, 2021. Delivery of the first ship to the Belgian Navy is anticipated in 2024 and to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2025.[6] The first ship for the Dutch Navy started on the 4 March, 2022, with a steel cutting ceremony. The keel was laid on 14 June, 2022.
On 8 May 2024, the Belgian Ministry of Defence announced that contractor Belgium Naval & Robotics requested a delay to the construction of the first four vessels citing unforeseen circumstances. The delay causes the first vessel, Oostende, to be delivered 8 months later than initially planned, pushing her commissioning back to 2025. The second vessel, Vlissingen, is to be 5 to 6 months delayed, the Tournai and Scheveningen will also see delays of 2 and 1 months respectively.[7]
Belgium gave the green-light to start the procurement on 26 January 2018 and approved a budget of 1.1 billion euros for the six Belgian MCM ships. Besides the Tripartite-class minehunters, the ships will also replace the Belgian logistical support ship Godetia.[8]
Pennant no. | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status | Note |
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M 940 | Oostende | Piriou, Concarneau, France | 30 November 2021[9] | 29 March 2023[10] | August 2025 (planned)[11] | Sea trials[12] | Commissioning initially planned for December 2024 [11] |
M 941 | Tournai | 29 March 2023[10] | 2 July 2024[13] | March 2026 (planned)[11] | Fitting out | Commissioning initially planned for January 2026 [11] | |
M 942 | Brugge | 31 January 2024[14] | December 2026 (planned)[11] | ||||
M 943 | Liège | December 2027 (planned)[11] | |||||
M 944 | Antwerpen | December 2028 (planned)[11] | |||||
M 945 | Rochefort | December 2029 (planned)[11] |
Pennant no. | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status | Note |
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M 840 | Vlissingen | Kership, Lorient, France | 14 June 2022[15] | 29 September 2023[16] | November - December 2025 (planned)[11] | Under construction[17] | Commissioning initially planned for June 2025 [11] |
M 841 | Scheveningen | Giurgiu shipyard, Giurgiu, Romania (Hull) Kership, Lorient, France (Fitting out) |
19 July 2023[18] | December 2024 (planned)[13] | July 2026 (planned)[11] | Under construction | Commissioning initially planned for June 2026 [11] |
M 842 | IJmuiden | 11 June 2024[19] | June 2027 (planned)[11] | Under construction | |||
M 843 | Harlingen | June 2028 (planned)[11] | |||||
M 844 | Delfzijl | June 2029 (planned)[11] | |||||
M 845 | Schiedam | June 2030 (planned)[11] |
Belgian Navy | |
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Royal Netherlands Navy Vlissingen class | |
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