ECA Group Selects UAV SKELDAR V-200 for Belgian-Dutch Minehunter Replacement Program.

ECA Group awarded UMS SKELDAR a procurement contract to supply the UAV SKELDAR V-200 as part of the naval mine countermeasures capability replacement program.
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Belgian-Dutch minehunter concept and UMS SKELDAR V-200 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). (Picture source: ECA Group)

The Belgian-Dutch minehunter programme led by Belgium Naval & Robotics – a consortium including France’s Naval Group and ECA Group – which will supply twelve minehunters equipped with drone systems (Toolbox) to the Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Working across 12 new generation ships (six each for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies), this contract is the first to materialize the stand-off concept by using a Toolbox – a system composed of a variety of drones to be deployed by operators in order to fulfil autonomous mine clearance missions at sea.

The UAV SKELDAR V-200 is an integrated part of the Toolbox, which will also consist of surface drones USV INSPECTOR125, underwater drones AUV A18-M, towed sonars T18 for mine detection, alongside the MIDS system (Mine Identification and Disposal System) for mine identification and neutralization, SEASCAN and K-STER. Selected also by the German and Canadian Navies, the SKELDAR V-200 provides navies with an embedded, “eye in the sky” intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability to enhance its capacity to perform primary and secondary missions. For the contract with ECA Group, serial deliveries of the UAV SKELDAR V-200 are expected to start in 2023.

Belgian-Dutch minehunter concept. (Picture source: Belgian Navy)

About the UMS Skeldar V-200:

The SKELDAR V-200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) provides unmatched technology for land and sea operations.

The SKELDAR V-200 is maritime ready. On watch, all the time, real-time and unmatched in its class. The fact that it is not just an open interface to Battlefield Management System (BMS) and C4ISR systems, but also 4586 STANAG compliant, makes it easier to implement on any maritime vessel.

With a double payload capability and uniquely incorporating Heavy Fuel, the SKELDAR V-200 is the perfect Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for maritime and naval operations.

Flexible and highly versatile, the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) is truly multi-role, and ideal for a wide range of applications such as Reconnaissance, Identification, Target Acquisition and Electronic Warfare. A number of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) High-resolution Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors are available.

UMS SKELDAR V-200 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). (Picture source: UMS SKELDAR)