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City-class mine countermeasures vessel

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Artist impression of the MCM
Class overview
NameCity class
Builders
Operators
Preceded by
Subclasses
  • City class
  • Vlissingen class
Built2021-present
In commissionFrom 2025 onwards
Planned12
Building6
Completed0
Active0
General characteristics
TypeMine countermeasures vessel
Displacement2,800 t (2,800 long tons) full load
Length82.30 m (270 ft 0 in)
Beam17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draught3.80 m (12 ft 6 in)
Speed15.3 knots (28.3 km/h; 17.6 mph)
Complement33–63
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Naval Surveillance Radar Scanter-6000
  • 2 towed sonars (T-18 equipped with Exail UMISAS 240 sonar)
  • 2 Mine Identification & Disposal Systems (MIDS)
  • 1 Exail influence mine sweeping system integrating 5 CTM magnetic modules
  • 1 PATRIA acoustic module
Armament
Aircraft carried1 unmanned aerial vessel (UMS Skeldar’s V200)
Notes2 unmanned surface vehicles (Exail Inspector 125), 3 autonomous underwater vehicles (A-18 equipped with Exail UMISAS 120 sonar)

The Netherlands and Belgium are doing a joint procurement for the replacements of the Tripartite-class/Alkmaar-class minehunters. Each of the two countries is procuring six new mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels, which makes for a total of 12 MCM ships. The new MCM ships, developed by Naval Group, will include a range of unmanned systems including unmanned surface, aerial and underwater vehicles alongside towed sonars and mine identification and neutralization ROVs.[1]

Design and development

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In early 2018, the Belgian and Dutch Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint construction and financing of the ships. A list of requirements was drawn up for the new vessels. Contenders in the race were:

  • The Franco-Belgium consortium made up of French shipbuilders STX France and Socarenam together with Belgium's EDR are bidding for the 12 new MCM vessels. Their plan includes the construction of MCM vessels named Sea Naval Solutions and a multi-role frigate named Deviceseas, which will serve as mothership to the MCM vessels. All ships will have a strong focus on autonomous systems operations.[2]
  • France's Naval Group and ECA Group [fr] established Belgian subsidiary Naval & Robotics and bid for the program.[3][4]
  • Imtech Belgium and Damen Group bid for the program.[3][4]

The contract was won by Naval Group on 15 March 2019.[3][4]

The new vessels take a new approach to their task. Instead of clearing mines directly from the ship, the ship uses unmanned systems to do this from a distance.[5]

Construction

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Vlissingen under construction at Concarneau in October 2023

A first steel cutting ceremony for the first-in-class ship for the Belgian Navy was held on 19 July 2021, with the keel being laid on 30 November 2021. Delivery of the first ship to the Belgian Navy is anticipated in 2024 and to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2025.[6] The first ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy started on the 4 March 2022, with a steel cutting ceremony. The keel was laid on 14 June 2022.

On 8 May 2024, the Belgian Ministry of Defence announced that contractor Belgium Naval & Robotics requested a delay to the construction of the first four vessels citing unforeseen circumstances. The delay caused the first vessel, Oostende, to be delivered eight months later than initially planned, pushing her commissioning back to 2025.[7] The second vessel, Vlissingen, is to be five-to-six months delayed, with Tournai and Scheveningen also seeing delays of two and one month(s) respectively.[8]

In July 2024, it was reported that the first mine countermeasures vessel, Oostende, had begun its sea trials.[9]

Ships in class

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Belgium

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Belgium gave the green-light to start the procurement on 26 January 2018 and approved a budget of 1.1 billion euros for the six Belgian MCM ships. Besides the Tripartite-class minehunters, the ships will also replace the Belgian logistical support ship Godetia.[10]

City class construction data
Pennant no. Name Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status Note
M 940 Oostende Piriou, Concarneau, France 30 November 2021[11] 29 March 2023[12] August 2025 (planned)[13] Sea trials[14] Commissioning initially planned for December 2024 [13]
M 941 Tournai 29 March 2023[12] 2 July 2024[15] March 2026 (planned)[13] Fitting out Commissioning initially planned for January 2026 [13]
M 942 Brugge 31 January 2024[16] December 2026 (planned)[13] Under construction
M 943 Liège December 2027 (planned)[13]
M 944 Antwerpen December 2028 (planned)[13]
M 945 Rochefort December 2029 (planned)[13]

Netherlands

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Vlissingen class construction data
Pennant no. Name Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status Note
M 840 Vlissingen Kership, Lorient, France 14 June 2022[17] 29 September 2023[18] November - December 2025 (planned)[13] Under construction[19] Commissioning initially planned for June 2025 [13]
M 841 Scheveningen Giurgiu shipyard, Giurgiu, Romania (Hull)
Kership, Lorient, France (Fitting out) 		19 July 2023[20] December 2024 (planned)[15] July 2026 (planned)[13] Under construction Commissioning initially planned for June 2026 [13]
M 842 IJmuiden 11 June 2024[21] June 2027 (planned)[13] Under construction
M 843 Harlingen June 2028 (planned)[13]
M 844 Delfzijl June 2029 (planned)[13]
M 845 Schiedam June 2030 (planned)[13]

Potential operators

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  • France - At Euronaval 2022, a partnership was signed between the Belgian, Dutch and French navies to enhance cooperation between them. As a result, the French Navy intends to order six vessels based on the City-class design to fulfill the role of BDGM motherships planned in the ongoing SLAM-F mine warfare program.[22][23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Belgium OKs acquisition of six new mine countermeasure vessels". navaltoday.com. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. ^ "STX France, EDR, Socarenam team for Belgian mine countermeasure project". navaltoday.com. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "France's Naval Group clinches Belgian-Dutch minehunter replacement contract". Naval Today. 15 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Scott, Richard (15 March 2019). "Naval Group team selected for BE/NL MCM programme". Jane's 360. London. Archived from the original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  5. ^ Defensie, Ministerie van (2021-11-30). "Mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen krijgen naam havenplaatsen - Nieuwsbericht - Defensie.nl". www.defensie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  6. ^ "First Steel Cutting Ceremony For Dutch-Belgian MCM Program". Naval News. 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  7. ^ Gain, Nathan (13 May 2024). "Belgian-Dutch rMCM mine warfare program facing delays". Naval News.
  8. ^ Kasper, Goossens (8 May 2024). "Levering nieuwe mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen vertraagd". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Belgian-Dutch rMCM program: First sea trials begin for mine countermeasures vessel Oostende". Army Recognition. 18 July 2024.
  10. ^ Karremann, Jaime (27 January 2018). "Groen licht voor aanschaf zes nieuwe mijnenjagers voor België" [Green light for the purchase of six new mine hunters for Belgium]. marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Eerste kiel nieuwe mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen voor Nederland en België gelegd". Marineschepen. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  12. ^ a b "Tewaterlating nieuw Belgisch mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig in Frankrijk, bouw volgend Nederlands schip in Roemenië". Marineschepen. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Gain, Nathan (2024-05-13). "Belgian-Dutch rMCM mine warfare program facing delays". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  14. ^ Bahtić, Fatima (19 July 2024). "First vessel of Belgian-Dutch rMCM program conducts sea trials". Naval Today. Archived from the original on 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Launching Of The Tournai, Third Mine Countermeasure Vessel Of The Belgian-Dutch RMCM Programme". Naval News. 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2024-07-02.
  16. ^ "Belgian Navy celebrates keel laying of 3rd mine countermeasure vessel BNS Brugge". Army Recognition. 1 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Kiel van nieuw mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig Vlissingen gelegd - eerste van nieuwe klasse". Marineschepen. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  18. ^ "City- en Vlissingenklasse mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen (België en Nederland)". Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Bouw mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig Vlissingen begonnen". Marineschepen. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  20. ^ Koninklijke Marine [@kon_marine] (19 July 2023). "De bouw van het toekomstige mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig Zr.Ms. Scheveningen is gestart" (Tweet) (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ "Dinsdag kiellegging derde Nederlandse mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuig". Marineschepen. 2024-06-07. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  22. ^ "Frankrijk wil (bijna) zelfde mijnenbestrijdingsvaartuigen als Nederland en België" (in Dutch). Marineschepen. 2022-10-19. Retrieved 2022-10-20.
  23. ^ "Mine Warfare: France, Belgium And Netherlands Seal Partnership". Naval News. 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-20.

Further reading

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