Dutch Navy mine countermeasures vessel Vlissingen hits water.

According to a PR published by Belgium Naval & Robotics on October 19, 2023, the second City-class mine countermeasures vessel Vlissingen of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM program, was launched on October 19, 2023, in Concarneau, in the presence of the chiefs of staff of the Royal Dutch Navy and the Belgian Navy, along with a representative of the chief of staff of the French Navy. The launching was carried out by Kership, which is constructing the vessels in Concarneau on behalf of Naval Group, the overall project contractor.
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Netherlands Navy's City class mine countermeasures vessel Vlissingen.  (Picture source: Naval Group)

This program envisages the strengthening of both the Belgian and Royal Dutch Navies with twelve countermeasures vessels, alongside a suite of about a hundred drones incorporated into a toolbox for enhanced operational capabilities.

Exail, the subcontractor, is tasked with the dronized mission system's realization, with a majority of the drones being manufactured in Ostend, Belgium. Maintenance of the vessels has been allocated to Belgium, manifesting a collaborative endeavor between the Belgian Navy and Naval Group Belgium, with Flanders Ship Repair extending its support.

The Vlissingen, while being the second vessel under this program, is the first one earmarked for the Royal Dutch Navy, with its delivery to the Netherlands slated for 2025. Its predecessor, the Oostende, destined for the Belgian Navy, made its debut on March 29, 2023. Following suit, the keel laying of the third and fourth vessels, the Tournai and the Scheveningen, for the Belgian and Royal Dutch Navies respectively, were carried out.

The delivery timeline extends from the end of 2024, starting with the Oostende in Zeebrugge, Belgium, and stretching until mid-2030 for the remaining fleet. The unfolding of this program symbolizes not only a significant industrial collaboration but also a substantial European cooperative venture, as emphasized by Pierre Eric Pommellet, the Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.

The rMCM program initiative has now transcended to a trilateral understanding, with France coming onboard in September 2023, envisaging the use of the rMCM vessel design to augment its navy, thus further concretizing the cooperative spirit among these European nations in navigating the challenges of mine warfare.

The vessels are 82.6 meters in length overall and 17 meters in width overall. They have a displacement of 2800 tons and can reach a maximum speed of 15.3 knots. They boast an autonomy of over 3500 nautical miles and can accommodate 63 people.

These ships are equipped with a state-of-the-art dronized mission system which includes an array of drones capable of operating on the surface, underwater, and in the air for mine detection, classification, and neutralization.

Some of the key components include the Exail UMISOFT system, 2 surface drones (Inspector 125 Exail), autonomous underwater vehicles, towed sonars, and influence sweep systems among others.

These vessels also have a robust handling system that includes lateral davits with floating cradle for surface drones and commando boats, a rear crane of 15 tons, and a 3-ton overhead crane.