French shipbuilder Kership and Belgium Naval and Robotics have begun conducting sea trials of the first vessel to be built under the joint Belgian-Dutch rMCM mine countermeasures (MCM) program. Following completion, the future Oostende will be handed over to the Belgian Navy.
Twelve ships will be built under the rMCM program with the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies receiving six vessels each.
The 82-metre, 2,800-tonne vessel will be able to launch and recover autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), towed sonars, and unmanned surface vessels (USVs). The USVs themselves will be able to launch and recover remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) equipped with mine identification/destruction systems.
Kership is in charge of the production of the twelve platforms, which are assembled in Concarneau and Lanester. They will be then all armed afloat by Piriou in Concarneau. The Naval Group, as overall architect and prime contractor, is responsible for the design of the ships, the overall integration, and the testing and commissioning of the mission system (combat system and mine countermeasures system).
