Belgian Companies Chosen to Equip New Minehunter Initiative by Naval Group
ABC and FN Herstal have been designated as key suppliers for the mine countermeasure vessels constructed by Kership Shipyard for Naval Group to benefit the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies.
The two Belgian firms supply apparatus for the twelve mine countermeasure vessels (MCMV) outfitted with drone systems (Toolbox) as part of the Mine Countermeasure initiative.
FN Herstal will furnish the MCMVs with Sea Defender Remote Weapon Stations, outfitted with 12.7mm FN M2HB-QCB machine guns. These remote weapon stations deliver enhanced remote firing capabilities both day and night and ensure a high rate of fire while safeguarding the operator. Specifically tailored for naval forces, this equipment is ideally suited for a broad spectrum of maritime missions, including anti-piracy, anti-terrorism, maritime traffic interception, and monitoring of territorial waters.
Located in Ghent (East Flanders), the Anglo Belgian Corporation (ABC) will install three power generators on each of the 12 MCMVs, resulting in a total of 36 generator units.
Initial Delivery Scheduled for 2024
The agreement for twelve MCMVs catering to the Belgian and Royal Dutch navies was announced in May 2019 and will extend over a decade. Following a two-year design phase, Belgium Naval & Robotics (a consortium of Naval Group and ECA Group) will oversee the production stage, which will be carried out by Kership.
Six vessels will be delivered to the Belgian navy and another six to the Royal Dutch navy, with the first shipment anticipated in September 2024. These vessels will be equipped with a comprehensive drone module hosting over eighty underwater, surface, and aerial drones dedicated solely to mine detection.
Last May, BNR successfully completed the “systems functional review,” and the consortium is now gearing up for the “Preliminary Design Review” scheduled for the end of 2021.
