Exail Robotics Belgium has secured a contract worth nearly €60 million (US$67 million) for the construction and delivery of new underwater mine disposal vehicles and associated equipment to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). These unmanned systems will be operated primarily by the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies.
The vehicles will be assembled at Exail’s production lines in Oostende. The same factory, inaugurated in 2022, is already producing a range of drones for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies as part of the modernisation program of their mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities.
The expendable mine disposal vehicles are designed for efficient mine neutralisation. Each vehicle will feature a compact, lightweight design, enabling easy deployment and operation, as well as a powerful shaped charge that can effectively neutralise numerous types of mines.
Each vehicle's high manoeuvrability and advanced guidance system will allow precise targeting and detonation, ensuring the safe and reliable clearance of minefields.
There is also a dedicated variant of the mine disposal vehicle equipped with an inert warhead to be used for training purposes. Exail said this allows for realistic and effective training without the risks associated with live ordnance.