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City-class mine countermeasures vessel

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Artist impression of the MCM
Class overview
Name
  • City class (Belgium)
  • Vlissingen class (Netherlands)
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
Cost€166.67 million per unit[note 1]
BuiltSince November 2021[2]
In commissionPlanned from August 2025[3]
Planned12
Building6
Completed0
General characteristics [4]
TypeMine countermeasures vessel
Displacement2,800 t (2,800 long tons) full load
Length82.30 m (270 ft 0 in)
Beam17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draught3.80 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power32 MW (43,000 hp)
Propulsion
  • CODLAD:[4]
    • 1 × ABC 12VDZC diesel generator[5]
    • 2 × ABC 6DZC diesel generators[5]
    • 2 × MEP electric motors (1,800 kW each)
  • Propellers:[4]
    • 2 × Wärtsila axles with fixed pitch screws
    • 2 × Wärtsila transverse bow thrusters
    • 1 × Wärtsila transverse stern thruster
Speed15.3 knots (28.3 km/h; 17.6 mph)
Complement33 to 63
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Systems[6]
    • Combat system: Naval Group Polaris system[7]
    • Drone management system and data analysis: UMISOFT suite[1][8]
    • Naval Group Multi-Drone Mission System (MDMS)[9]
    • Containerized Command and Control Centre with the Mine Warfare System (MWS)[8]
  • Sonars:
    • Bow sonar: iXblue [fr] FLS 60[10]
    • Towed sonar:ECA T18-M[4]
    • Autonomous drone with sonar for mine detection: ECA A18-M AUV (equipped with Exail UMISAS 120 sonar)[4][8]
  • Radars:
    • Naval surveillance radar: Terma Scanter 6000[11]
    • Target tracking radar: Thales NS50 AESA[1]
  • Electro-optical sensors:
    • 2 × Sea Eagle FCEO stabilised cameras (HD and infrared) with laser rangefinder, (by Chess Dynamics)[12]
  • Communications:
    • Saab TactiCall ICS communication suite[9][13]
  • Navigation
    • iXblue inertial navigation system[10]
  • Underwater drones:
    • ECA Seascan MK2 (identifying mine)[4][8]
    • ECA K-STER C (disabling mines)'[4][8][14]
    • Patria Sonac ACS - Acoustic Minesweeping Systems drone[15]
    • Electronics for the drones by ST Engineering iDirect Belgium, a subcontractor of Exail[16]
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × UMS Skeldar V-200 unmanned aerial vehicles[4]
Notes
  • Surface boats:
    • 2 × 7 m SOLAS Viking RHIB[4]
    • 1 × ECA Inspector 125 unmanned vessel which deploys the drones[18] equipped with an Exail FLS-5 sonar[9])
  • Others:
    • Exail influence dragger with five integrated CTM magnetic modules
    • 1 × overhead crane
    • 1 × stern crane

The Netherlands and Belgium are doing a joint procurement for the replacements of the Tripartite-class/Alkmaar-class minehunters. Each of the two countries is procuring six new mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels, which makes for a total of 12 MCM ships.[19] The new MCM ships, developed by Naval Group, will include a range of unmanned systems including unmanned surface, aerial and underwater vehicles alongside towed sonars and mine identification and neutralization remotely operated vehicles.[20]

Design and development

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In early 2018, the Belgian and Dutch Nnvies signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint construction and financing of the ships.[citation needed] A list of requirements was drawn up for the new vessels. Contenders in the race were:

  • The Franco-Belgium consortium made up of French shipbuilders STX France and Socarenam together with Belgium's EDR are bidding for the 12 new MCM vessels. Their plan includes the construction of MCM vessels named Sea Naval Solutions and a multi-role frigate named Deviceseas, which will serve as mothership to the MCM vessels. All ships will have a strong focus on autonomous systems operations.[21]
  • France's Naval Group and ECA Group [fr] established Belgian subsidiary Naval & Robotics and bid for the program.[22][23]
  • Imtech Belgium and Damen Group bid for the program.[22][23]

The contract was won by Naval Group on 15 March 2019.[22][23]

The new vessels take a new approach to their task. Instead of clearing mines directly from the ship, the ship uses unmanned systems to do this from a distance.[24]

Construction

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Oostende under construction at Concarneau in 2024

A first steel cutting ceremony for the first-in-class ship for the Belgian Navy was held on 19 July 2021, with the keel being laid on 30 November 2021.[citation needed] Delivery of the first ship to the Belgian Navy is anticipated in 2024 and to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2025.[25] The first ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy started on the 4 March 2022, with a steel cutting ceremony.[citation needed] The keel was laid on 14 June 2022.

On 8 May 2024, the Belgian Ministry of Defence announced that contractor Belgium Naval & Robotics requested a delay to the construction of the first four vessels citing unforeseen circumstances. The delay caused the first vessel, Oostende, to be delivered eight months later than initially planned, pushing her commissioning back to 2025.[26] The second vessel, Vlissingen, is to be five-to-six months delayed, with Tournai and Scheveningen also seeing delays of two and one month(s) respectively.[27]

In July 2024, it was reported that the first mine countermeasures vessel, Oostende, had begun its sea trials.[28]

Equipment

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Mission bay

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The deployment system for the RHIB and the unmanned surface vessel was developed by Naval Group. The mission bay is to be equipped with the "Launch and recovery system"(LARS).[29]

Drones

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Surface vessels

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The ECA Group [fr] INSPECTOR 125 unmanned surface vessel was ordered to be a centerpiece of the system. It has a low signature (magnetic and acoustic) which would prevent a mine from being triggered. The vessel is also designed to be unsinkable.[18] Its mission is focused on communications and deployment of the drones.[4] This vessel can be deployed from the mission bay by a handling system.[29]

Operators

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Future operators

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 Belgium (6)
Belgium gave the green-light to start the procurement on 26 January 2018 and approved a budget of 1.1 billion euros for the six Belgian MCM ships. Besides the Tripartite-class minehunters, the ships will also replace the Belgian logistical support ship Godetia.[30]
 Netherlands (6)
Contract for the MCM vessels in collaboration with Belgium in 2019, critical design review passed in June 2020.[31]

Potential operators

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 France
At Euronaval 2022, a partnership was signed between the Belgian, Dutch and French navies to enhance cooperation between them. As a result, the French Navy intends to order six vessels based on the City-class design to fulfill the role of BDGM motherships planned in the ongoing SLAM-F mine warfare program.[32][33]

Ships in class

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Name No. Builder Laid down Launched Comm. Status Notes
 Belgian Navy
City class
Oostende M-940 Piriou Concarneau [fr] 30 Nov 2021[34] 29 Mar 2023[35] Aug 2025[3] Sea trials[36] Initially planned for December 2024[3]
Tournai M-941 29 Mar 2023[35] 2 Jul 2024[37] Mar 2026[3] Fitting out Initially planned for January 2026[3]
Brugge M-942 31 Jan 2024[38] – Dec 2026[3] Under construction
Liège M-943 – – Dec 2027[3] –
Antwerpen M-944 – – Dec 2028[3] –
Rochefort M-945 – – Dec 2029[3] –
 Royal Netherlands Navy
Vlissingen class
Vlissingen M-840 Kership Lorient [fr] 14 Jun 2022[39] 29 Sep 2023[40] End 2025[3] Under construction[41] Initially planned for June 2025[3]
Scheveningen M-841 Shipyard ATG Giurgiu
(hull)

ECA Group [fr]

Kership Lorient [fr]
(fitting out)

19 Jul 2023[42] 5 Nov 2024[43] July 2026[3] Under construction Initially planned for June 2026[3]
IJmuiden M-842 11 Jun 2024[44] – June 2027[3] Under construction
Harlingen M-843 – – June 2028[3] –
Delfzijl M-844 – – June 2029[3] –
Schiedam M-845 – – June 2030[3] –
  Planned commissionning

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ Unit cost is based on the May 2019 €2 billion contract for 12 systems for the Belgian Naval Component and the Royal Netherlands Navy.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Mine Countermeasure Vessels". 5 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Eerste kiel nieuwe mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen voor Nederland en België gelegd". Marineschepen. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Gain, Nathan (2024-05-13). "Belgian-Dutch rMCM mine warfare program facing delays". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "City- en Vlissingenklasse mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen (België en Nederland)". Marineschepen. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  5. ^ a b "ABC selected for the new Belgian and Dutch Navy Mine Counter Measures Vessel Programme (MCMV)". abc-engines. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  6. ^ . exail https://www.exail.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/exailbrochuremine-countermeasuresweb.pdf. Retrieved 2024-11-14. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ "Naval Group launches the first mine countermeasure vessel of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme and lays the keel for the third one". exail. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Belgian & Royal Netherlands Navies prepare to receive robotic autonomous systems in 3rd generation MCM programme". exail. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  9. ^ a b c "Euronaval 2024 – Naval Group and Exail partnership presents its unmanned MCM toolbox and mothership solution". edrmagazine. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  10. ^ a b "Belgium Naval & Robotics selects iXblue for the forefront sonars and inertial navigation system for 12 mine countermeasures vessels of the Belgium and The Royal Netherlands Navies". naval-group. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  11. ^ "Terma SCANTER 6000 radar selected for MCM program". terma. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  12. ^ "High probability of Dutch radar on new mine countermeasures vessels". marineschepen. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  13. ^ "Saab TactiCall communication system gets aboard Belgian-Dutch MCM program". navalnews. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  14. ^ "NATO awards Exail Robotics Belgium a €60 million contract for underwater mine disposal vehicles". exail. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  15. ^ "Patria to deliver Acoustic Minesweeping Systems to the Belgian and Royal Netherlands navies in collaboration with Belgium Naval & Robotics". patriagroup. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  16. ^ "Exail Selects ST Engineering iDirects Manufacturing Competence Center as Strategic Partner for Belgian-Dutch Navy Program". stengg. 2024-10-12. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  17. ^ "BAE Systems 40Mk4 Naval Guns Selected For Belgian And Dutch RMCM Program", Naval News, 2021
  18. ^ a b "The Belgian and Royal Netherlands navies choose ECA GROUP's USV INSPECTOR 125 to show the path of stand-off mine clearance at sea". ecagroup. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  19. ^ Jessica Bode (12 July 2019). "Nieuwe schepen in aantocht". Defensiekrant (in Dutch). Defensie.nl.
  20. ^ "Belgium OKs acquisition of six new mine countermeasure vessels". navaltoday.com. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  21. ^ "STX France, EDR, Socarenam team for Belgian mine countermeasure project". navaltoday.com. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  22. ^ a b c "France's Naval Group clinches Belgian-Dutch minehunter replacement contract". Naval Today. 15 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  23. ^ a b c Scott, Richard (15 March 2019). "Naval Group team selected for BE/NL MCM programme". Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  24. ^ Defensie, Ministerie van (2021-11-30). "Mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen krijgen naam havenplaatsen - Nieuwsbericht - Defensie.nl". www.defensie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  25. ^ "First Steel Cutting Ceremony For Dutch-Belgian MCM Program". Naval News. 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  26. ^ Gain, Nathan (13 May 2024). "Belgian-Dutch rMCM mine warfare program facing delays". Naval News.
  27. ^ Kasper, Goossens (8 May 2024). "Levering nieuwe mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen vertraagd". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Belgian-Dutch rMCM program: First sea trials begin for mine countermeasures vessel Oostende". Army Recognition. 18 July 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Le VN Rebel va servir aux essais du drone Inspector 125 d'ECA | Mer et Marine". www.meretmarine.com (in French). 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  30. ^ Karremann, Jaime (27 January 2018). "Groen licht voor aanschaf zes nieuwe mijnenjagers voor België" [Green light for the purchase of six new mine hunters for Belgium]. marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  31. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (2020-06-29). "Belgian-Dutch Mine Counter Measure (MCM) Program Achieves New Milestone". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  32. ^ "Frankrijk wil (bijna) zelfde mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen als Nederland en België" (in Dutch). Marineschepen. 2022-10-19. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  33. ^ "Mine Warfare: France, Belgium And Netherlands Seal Partnership". Naval News. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  34. ^ "Eerste kiel nieuwe mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen voor Nederland en België gelegd". Marineschepen. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  35. ^ a b "Tewaterlating nieuw Belgisch mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig in Frankrijk, bouw volgend Nederlands schip in Roemenië". Marineschepen. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  36. ^ Bahtić, Fatima (19 July 2024). "First vessel of Belgian-Dutch rMCM program conducts sea trials". Naval Today. Archived from the original on 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  37. ^ "Launching Of The Tournai, Third Mine Countermeasure Vessel Of The Belgian-Dutch RMCM Programme". Naval News. 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  38. ^ "Belgian Navy celebrates keel laying of 3rd mine countermeasure vessel BNS Brugge". Army Recognition. 1 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Kiel van nieuw mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig Vlissingen gelegd - eerste van nieuwe klasse". Marineschepen. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  40. ^ "City- en Vlissingenklasse mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen (België en Nederland)". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  41. ^ "Bouw mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig Vlissingen begonnen". Marineschepen. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  42. ^ Koninklijke Marine [@kon_marine] (19 July 2023). "De bouw van het toekomstige mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig Zr.Ms. Scheveningen is gestart" (Tweet) (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Twitter.
  43. ^ Mariska Buitendijk (7 November 2024). "Fourth Mine Countermeasure Vessel launched, steel cut for number eight". SWZ|Maritime.
  44. ^ "Dinsdag kiellegging derde Nederlandse mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig". Marineschepen. 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2024-06-10.

Further reading

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