France welcomes new MMCM USV from OCCAR

France has taken delivery of Rigel, the second unmanned surface vessel (USV) under the Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) program.

The handover, completed on October 21, 2025, was announced by the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR), which manages the binational program on behalf of the French Ministry of Armed Forces and the UK Ministry of Defense.

Rigel follows the delivery of Canopus, the first French USV, which was handed over just ten months ago. Together, the two vessels represent a significant step forward for the French Navy as it advances towards a fully operational unmanned mine countermeasure capability.

According to OCCAR, the addition of Rigel will enhance operational maturity, reliability, and interoperability across the MMCM system, underscoring the partners’ “unwavering commitment” to developing a disruptive approach to mine detection and destruction.

The MMCM program, developed by Thales, OCCAR, and both nations’ defense ministries, aims to deliver an ‘agile, interoperable, and robust’ mine countermeasure capability that keeps personnel outside minefields whenever possible.

Using autonomous, off-board systems deployed from shore or from motherships at stand-off distances, the system will enable the rapid detection and neutralization of underwater threats.

By providing “strategic, operational, and tactical freedom of maneuver,” the system is expected to support a wide range of naval operations, including maritime security and force projection.

The MMCM initiative was first launched under the Lancaster House Treaties between France and the United Kingdom in 2010. Following a competitive tender, OCCAR awarded Thales a demonstration-phase contract in 2015 covering design, manufacturing, qualification, and evaluation of prototype systems.

In October 2020, both nations signed the production contract for Stage II, covering the manufacture of multiple systems, common and national development activities, the establishment of a shore-based operations and training center, and provisions for in-service support.

The joint effort reinforces the strategic defense partnership between France and the UK and highlights the value of collaborative procurement in delivering next-generation maritime capabilities for European security.

With Rigel now delivered, the MMCM program moves another step closer to full operational deployment across both the French Navy and the Royal Navy in the coming years.