
Future Belgian Dutch MCM Vessel Design Passes Milestone in Tank Test
Naval Group successfully completed testing of its Launch and Recovery System up to and including NATO sea state 5/6 at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands

Naval Group successfully completed testing of its Launch and Recovery System up to and including NATO sea state 5/6 at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands

The Latvian Navy procured a pair of A9-M Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (AUV) from ECA Group in 2015. Since then, the system is being operated in Liepāja by the Minehunters Squadron. But It was never demonstrated to a foreign media… That was until Naval News interviewed commander Armands Grebežs, chief of the BALTRON squadron, in late August 2019.

Dutch State Secretary Barbara Visser, Belgian defense minister Didier Reynders and French companies Naval Group and ECA Robotics signed the contract for 12 next generation MCM vessels and their equipment in Brussels, on July 5, 2019.

The Belgian Ministry of Defense recently contracted the consortium Belgian Naval & Robotics (formed by Naval Group & ECA Group) to supply 12 vessels and associated equipment to the Belgian and Dutch Navies. Naval Group shared some detailed images of the future vessels with us. Here is what can be learned from these images.

The US company L3 Technologies is ready to transfer proven unmanned technology to the Belgian shipyard Engine Deck Repair (EDR). Through the Belgian consortium Sea Naval Solutions, EDR is now authorized to integrate L3 solutions in its proposal for the Belgian-Dutch MCM Program.

The first of three Estonian Navy (Eesti Merevägi) mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels has just recieved a capability upgrade at Babcock’s Rosyth facilities in Fife.

Our colleagues from Dutch naval defense media marineschepen.nl had the scoop on the mine countermeasure (MCM) vessel design submitted by Damen for the Belgian-Dutch competition. Damen is a Dutch defence, shipbuilding, and engineering conglomerate company based in Gorinchem, Netherlands.

Naval Group’ Services Department was awarded in late December 2018 a 5-year maintenance and service contract for the entire French Navy fleet of Tripartite-class mine counter measure (MCM) vessels.