Belgian Navy’s new minehunter Oostende has completed its first sea trials in Douarnenez Bay off the coast of Brittany, testing a suite of drones and uncrewed mine countermeasure systems alongside the Mine Countermeasures Module Group (MMG).
Oostende was designed according to a new concept for the Belgian Navy: conducting mine countermeasure operations without sending the ship itself into the danger zone. Instead, it deploys a “toolbox” consisting of surface drones, underwater drones and control systems that enable mines to be detected, identified and neutralised from a safe distance.
These capabilities had previously been tested ashore using a mobile control container that replicates the ship’s operational environment. The recent trials in Douarnenez Bay marked a significant step forward. For the first time, the Belgian Navy conducted these operations directly from the ship, using its own crew and MMG operators.
Before the testing phase, the focus was on safe navigation and basic operating procedures. The crew underwent intensive training in firefighting, damage control and navigation under a variety of scenarios.
Cooperation between the ship’s company and the MMG was a central focus of the trials. Procedures were aligned, responsibilities clarified and communication strengthened.
“There are still technical challenges,” the commanding officer of Oostende explained.
“However, cooperation with the toolbox personnel went very smoothly. Thanks to the motivation, commitment and energy of everyone on board, integration progressed very quickly. We were able to focus on our future missions, not just on operating the ship.”
Oostende was designed as a mothership capable of detecting and countering mines using uncrewed systems, without entering the danger area itself.
Surface drones transport sensors and underwater drones to the designated operating area, where the underwater systems detect, identify and ultimately neutralise mines.
Among the systems deployed during this campaign were the Inspector 125 uncrewed surface vessel (USV) and the A18 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). While the operators were already familiar with these systems, it was the first time they had operated them directly from the ship following earlier trials with the containerized toolbox.
“This was the first time we were able to deploy the A18 from the ship in this way,” said an AUV operator. “We learned a great deal about the system’s behaviour.”
With this campaign, Oostende has taken another concrete step towards operational deployment. For the first time, a fully integrated maritime team operated according to a concept that is expected to become the future standard, it was concluded.
The rMCM program is led by Belgium Naval & Robotics, a consortium formed by Naval Group and Exail, with Kership—a joint venture between Piriou and Naval Group—serving as the industrial prime contractor.
The new mine countermeasure vessels are 82.6 meters long with a beam of 17 meters, displace 2,800 tons, have a top speed of 15.3 knots and a range of more than 3,500 nautical miles, and are operated by a crew of 63 personnel.
The rMCM program plans for a total of 12 mine countermeasure vessels: six for the Belgian Navy and six for the Royal Netherlands Navy.
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