Belgian minehunter Aster

Aster M915
History
Belgium
Name	Aster
Namesake	Aster
Builder	Mercantile-Belyard Shipyard, Rupelmonde
Launched	16 December 1985
Identification	Pennant number M915
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Tripartite-class minehunter
Displacement	536 t (528 long tons) empty 605 t (595 long tons) full load
Length	51.5 m (169 ft)
Beam	8.96 m (29.4 ft)
Height	18.5 m (61 ft)
Draught	3.6 m (12 ft)
Propulsion	1 × 1370 kW Werkspoor RUB 215 V12 diesel engine 2 × 180 kW ACEC active rudders 1 × HOLEC bow propeller
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)
Range	3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × rigid-hulled inflatable boats 1 × Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROV
Complement	4 officers, 15 non-commissioned officers, 17 sailors
Sensors and processing systems	1 × Thales Underwater Systems TSM 2022 Mk III Hull Mounted Sonar 1 × SAAB Bofors Double Eagle Mk III Self Propelled Variable Depth Sonar 1 × Consilium Selesmar Type T-250/10CM003 Radar
Armament	3 × 12.7 mm machine guns

Aster is a Tripartite-class minehunter of the Belgian Naval Component, launched on 16 December 1985 at the Mercantile-Belyard shipyard in Rupelmonde and christened by Queen Paola of Belgium. The patronage of Aster was accepted by the city of Blankenberge. Aster was the first of the Belgian Tripartite-class minehunters.

On 11 October 2007, Aster was damaged when the minesweeper collided with a fuel lighter on the River Scheldt.

In early October 2018, it was reported that the Pakistan Navy had received a decommissioned MCMV from Belgium. Jane's in its article, speculated that this could be Aster decommissioned by the Belgian Navy. Further, since the details were not provided by the parties involved, it was not clear whether the Pakistan Navy will operate it or use it as spares.

References

• Silverstone, Paul H. (2007). "Naval Intelligence". Warship International. Vol. 44, no. 1. pp. 9–13. ISSN 0043-0374. JSTOR 44895530.