First vessel of Belgian-Dutch rMCM program aces sea trials with USV (Video)

Oostende, the first mine countermeasures vessel in the Belgian-Dutch rMCM program intended for the Belgian Navy, has completed sea trials with Exail’s mine hunting unmanned surface vessel (USV).

As informed, during the trials, the minehunter operated with USV Inspector 125, designed to detect and neutralize mines with the help of a suite of underwater drones.

Oostende – Sea trials with USV

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The USV accommodates a wide array of payloads and features a spacious deck and open architecture. It comes equipped with advanced sensors, navigation system, obstacle and mine avoidance sonar, and AI-driven software.

According to Exail, the USV offers versatile operation modes, manned, remote-controlled, and fully autonomous, for missions such as infrastructure protection, mine countermeasures, or rapid environmental assessment.

Exail noted in a social media post that ‘a world first in naval mine warfare has been achieved’ with the successful launch and recovery of the USV from a mothership, using the rMCM program’s stand-off concept. This groundbreaking approach is expected to enhance operational safety by allowing unmanned systems to conduct minehunting missions, keeping naval crews out of harm’s way.

The rMCM program is being led by Belgium Naval & Robotics, a consortium formed by Naval Group and Exail, and involves Kership (a joint venture between Piriou and Naval Group) as an industrial prime contractor.

These mine countermeasure vessels have the following characteristics:

• Length: 82,6 meters;
• Width: 17 meters;
• Displacement: 2800 tons;
• Maximum speed: 15,3 knots;
• Range: >3500 nautical miles;
• Crew: 63 people.

Oostende was launched in March 2023, followed by the second ship in the series, Vlissingen, for the Royal Netherlands Navy, in October 2023, and Tournai in June 2024. Delivery of Oostende is scheduled for the summer of 2025 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. Deliveries of the other ships will then be staggered until mid-2030.