Belgian defense contractor OIP Sensor Systems (OIP) announced it has signed a teaming agreement with Hydroid, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, for work on the Belgian defense ministry’s Mine Counter Measures (MCM) Toolbox program.
The agreement is part of OIP’s drive to form a collaboration which will combine an unmanned MCM solution with a systems integration experience that will enable the team to win significant shares of the development and production involved in the MCM Toolbox program.
Teaming with Hydroid allows OIP to offer an MCM package that includes the operational Seagull multi-mission unmanned surface vehicle (USV); an effective acoustic underwater communication technology; advanced electro optic systems; and Hydroid’s REMUS autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and its autonomous deployment & retrieval system (DRS).
OIP is a long-time provider of advanced maritime systems equipping Belgian and Dutch frigates as well as Belgian patrol vessels. Founded in Ghent in 1919, OIP is now based in Oudenaarde where it conducts R&D and runs its manufacturing and assembly operations.
“We are proud to form this excellent team. Our integrated solution is a powerful, precise and extensively tested package that provides a robust, effective and efficient answer to the customer’s operational needs,” Freddy Versluys, CEO of OIP Sensor Systems, commented.