Belgian frigate Louise-Marie confirms full combat capability during NATO’s largest live-fire drill in Europe.

As reported by its Commanding Officer on May 7, 2025, the Belgian Navy frigate Louise-Marie (F931) launched a RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile during the live-fire phase of NATO’s Formidable Shield 2025 exercise. The launch took place off the coast of Andøya, Norway, and was part of the integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) operations conducted during the exercise. This event followed the resolution of a technical issue reported in April 2024, when a Sea Sparrow missile reportedly became stuck in its vertical launch system. The May 7 launch confirmed the operational status of the vessel and its ability to contribute to NATO’s air defense architecture in a live scenario involving multinational coordination.
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This live-fire exercise proved the resolution of a technical issue reported in April 2024, when a Sea Sparrow missile reportedly became stuck in its vertical launch system. (Picture source: Belgian Navy)

Formidable Shield 2025, held from May 3 to 25 and co-hosted by Norway and the United Kingdom, is the largest live-fire naval exercise in Europe this year. Directed by the United States Sixth Fleet and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), the exercise is designed to enhance the alliance’s ability to conduct maritime-led, multi-domain IAMD operations in a complex operational environment. It features a wide range of scenarios, including coordinated engagements against subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic missile threats, all conducted using NATO’s integrated command and control architecture. The exercise began at the Andøya firing range in Northern Norway before transitioning to the Hebrides Range off the coast of Scotland. NATO AWACS aircraft based at Forward Operating Location Ørland in Norway provided airborne situational awareness and fighter coordination, supported by two U.S. Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotankers also deployed to Ørland for aerial refueling.

A total of 11 NATO countries are participating in Formidable Shield 2025: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with Australia contributing radar sensor data for analytical purposes. Approximately 6,900 personnel, 16 ships, 27 aircraft, and 8 ground units, including NASAMS, NOMADS, HIMARS, and tactical air operations centers, are involved in the exercise. Formidable Shield also includes the integration of land and air-based forces through joint mission planning and pre-planned response drills at the NATO level. Among the notable participating vessels are USS Thomas Hudner and USS Bulkeley, Norway’s KNM Otto Sverdrup, and the Belgian frigate Louise-Marie. The multinational IAMD task group operates under the tactical command of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS De Ruyter, which serves as the command platform for coordinated engagements and scenario management throughout the event.

The Belgian frigate’s role in Formidable Shield follows months of intensified NATO deployments. Louise-Marie was previously integrated into Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) as part of a two-month mission that began in February 2025. During this deployment, the ship operated under Operation Baltic Sentry, focused on the defense of undersea critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, an initiative launched following sabotage of cables between Finland and Estonia in late 2024. The frigate also took part in Exercise Joint Viking near the Russian border, reflecting a broad NATO focus on deterrence and interoperability in the High North. Throughout the operation, Louise-Marie demonstrated visible and forward-deployed presence in strategic areas of interest, including the Arctic, Baltic, and North Seas. These operations were conducted under the command of Commander Jan Gacas, appointed in December 2024. The Belgian Ministry of Defence stated that this series of deployments aimed to reinforce collective defense postures amid increasing geopolitical instability.

Louise-Marie (F931) is a Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigate operated by the Belgian Navy and based at Zeebrugge Naval Base. Initially launched on January 21, 1989, by the Royal Netherlands Navy as HNLMS Willem van der Zaan (F829), the ship was acquired by Belgium on December 22, 2005, as part of a deal to replace its aging Wielingen-class frigates. It was rechristened in Antwerp on April 8, 2008, by Queen Paola and named after Queen Louise-Marie, the first Queen of the Belgians. It is one of two Karel Doorman-class frigates in Belgian service, the other being Leopold I (F930), formerly HNLMS Karel Doorman. The frigate has been actively deployed in NATO and EU missions, including in the Gulf of Aden under Operation Atalanta, in the Red Sea under Operation Aspides, and in the Mediterranean under Operation Sophia. Notably, in November 2013, Louise-Marie transported symbolic soil from World War I battlefields to London for the inauguration of the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden.

In November 2013, the Louise-Marie transported symbolic soil from World War I battlefields to London for the inauguration of the Flanders Fields Memorial Garden. (Picture source: Belgian Navy)

Technically, Louise-Marie has a full load displacement of 2,800 tonnes, a length of 122.3 meters, a beam of 14.37 meters, and a draught of 6.2 meters. The ship uses a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, comprising two Rolls-Royce Spey 1A gas turbines for high-speed transit (combined 33,800 horsepower) and two Stork-Werkspoor 12SW280 diesel engines for economic cruising (combined 9,790 horsepower), enabling a top speed of 30 knots. The frigate carries a complement of 145 personnel, including 15 officers, and accommodates a helicopter detachment supported by a hangar and flight deck compatible with NH90 NFH maritime helicopters. The platform underwent modernization to receive the Thales SeaWatcher 100 radar and Gatekeeper EO system, both enhancing short-range situational awareness and surface target tracking capabilities.

The ship’s combat systems include a 76mm OTO Melara compact naval gun, eight Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, and a 16-cell Mk 48 vertical launch system (VLS) housing RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles. For close-in defense, the Louise-Marie features a Goalkeeper CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) capable of delivering rapid-fire 30mm rounds against incoming threats. For anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the ship is equipped with two twin launchers for Mk 46 torpedoes and deploys ASW-capable NH90 helicopters fitted with dipping sonar and sonobuoys. Additional self-defense is provided by .50 caliber Browning machine guns and FN MAG 7.62mm guns. The frigate’s sensor suite includes Thales SMART-S 3D surveillance radar, Thales STIR 1.8 fire-control radar, and the Signaal PHS-36 hull-mounted sonar, allowing for balanced multi-threat engagement capabilities across all domains.

Operationally, Louise-Marie has a longstanding record of international deployments. During Operation Atalanta in 2009, the ship conducted patrols off Somalia, rescued dozens of shipwrecked migrants, and engaged in direct deterrence actions against suspected pirate vessels. In 2013, it performed a symbolic passage through London’s Tower Bridge with commemorative soil from Belgium. In 2017, it participated in the European mission Operation Sophia, focused on disrupting human trafficking networks in the Mediterranean. In 2024, the ship was slated to join Operation Aspides in the Red Sea but was temporarily delayed due to technical issues with its missile systems, specifically a malfunction involving a stuck Sea Sparrow round in its VLS. Repairs were completed in April 2025, allowing full participation in Formidable Shield. In previous years, Louise-Marie had also taken part in Strike Warrior and Freezing Winds, reinforcing its role as a key Belgian naval asset in NATO maritime readiness efforts.

The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile, developed by the United States in the 1960s and based on the AIM-7 air-to-air missile, serves as a shipborne, short-range surface-to-air missile designed to defend against aircraft and incoming anti-ship missiles. It remains a key component of NATO’s layered air defense systems, having been deployed on a variety of vessels across member states for nearly five decades. The Sea Sparrow uses semi-active radar homing and is launched either from trainable launchers or, more recently, from vertical launch systems such as the Mk 48 and Mk 29. While the system has been partially supplanted by the more advanced RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), the baseline Sea Sparrow remains in use on several platforms, including both Belgian Karel Doorman-class frigates.

The ship’s main combat systems include a 76mm OTO Melara compact naval gun, eight Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, and a 16-cell Mk 48 vertical launch system (VLS) housing RIM-7 Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles. (Picture source: Belgian Navy)

Technically, the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow weighs approximately 230 kg and measures 3.66 meters in length. It is powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor, capable of reaching speeds over Mach 2.5 and intercepting targets within a range of up to 19 kilometers. Its guidance relies on semi-active radar homing, supported by shipboard fire control radars such as the Thales STIR system aboard the Louise-Marie. The missile carries a 41 kg high-explosive blast fragmentation warhead with a proximity fuze designed to detonate at a kill radius of approximately 8 meters. The missile is designed to counter sea-skimming and high-diving aerial threats, and has seen successful use in multiple naval exercises and combat environments since the 1970s. In the 2018 edition of a multinational drill off Norway, the Louise-Marie fired two Sea Sparrows in a test sequence alongside one Harpoon missile.

Despite its longevity, the Sea Sparrow system has undergone significant upgrades across NATO fleets. Belgian Navy sources confirmed that the Louise-Marie continues to use the RIM-7M version, equipped with monopulse radar seekers and computer-based guidance algorithms. These features improve accuracy against low-flying, high-speed aerial targets. The system has been upgraded across NATO to remain interoperable with evolving radar systems and combat management platforms. Though now partially supplemented by the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), the RIM-7 remains an integral part of the Louise-Marie’s air defense suite. The ship’s 2024 technical fault during a Sea Sparrow launch was resolved by April 2025, enabling a successful firing during Formidable Shield. The event validated the system’s functionality and confirmed the platform’s return to full operational readiness.

The Sea Sparrow system has also been integrated into non-maritime applications. In Taiwan, it is fielded on towed launchers as part of the Skyguard SHORAD system. In 2023, Ukraine began modifying its 9K37 Buk launchers to fire Sea Sparrows as part of the "FrankenSAM" program, using multiple Western missile types in legacy Soviet systems. The missile remains a widespread solution for short- to medium-range ship-based air defense across NATO navies, including Belgium’s. The successful test conducted on May 7, 2025, demonstrated continued reliability in operational contexts and supports NATO’s objective of maintaining readiness against evolving air and missile threats in European maritime domains.

The Louise-Marie has been actively deployed in NATO and EU missions, including in the Gulf of Aden under Operation Atalanta, in the Red Sea under Operation Aspides, in the Mediterranean under Operation Sophia, as well as in the Baltic Sea under Freezing Winds 2024. (Picture source: Belgian Navy)