On November 3, 2025, the Belgian Navy’s first new mine countermeasure vessel, the M940 Oostende, was moored in Zeebrugge. This event, attended by high-level Belgian officials and industry leaders, marked a major milestone for the Belgian-Dutch replacement Mine Countermeasure (rMCM) programme.
The rMCM programme, awarded in 2019 to the Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium of Naval Group and Exail, represents an innovative model for European defence cooperation. It is a complete paradigm shift in mine warfare, moving from traditional crewed ships to a modern, drone-based solution. This stand-off approach keeps the vessel and its crew at a safe distance from mine threats, increasing clearance speed tenfold while enhancing safety.
Naval Group is responsible for the vessel design, while Exail provides the state-of-the-art UxV mission system. The ships are built by Piriou under the management of Kership, a Naval Group and Piriou joint venture. A key element of the programme is a significant industrial cooperation and know-how transfer plan to Belgium, where Exail produces and maintains the drones.
The Oostende is the first of twelve vessels. Currently, nine of the remaining ships are under construction, with five already launched. Sea trials for subsequent vessels are underway, with deliveries continuing until 2030.
These 82.6-meter ships feature a revolutionary toolbox of surface, underwater, and aerial drones. They are the first vessels fully dedicated to robotic mine detection, classification, identification, and neutralisation. Their design ensures resilience against underwater explosions and very low acoustic, electrical, and magnetic signatures, making them a powerful new asset for NATO and European naval power.
