MMCM neutraliser completes first live firing from ROV

MMCM neutraliser completes first live firing from a remotely operated vehicle. (Saab)

The Saab Multi-Shot Mine Neutralisation System (MuMNS) being supplied to the navies of France and the UK as part of the Maritime Mine Countermeasures (MMCM) minehunting suite has completed a first successful firing in an operationally representative environment.

Announcing the test milestone on 23 April, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'ARmement: OCCAR) said that a munition was successfully trialled at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) test centre in Motala lake, southern Sweden.

Being delivered by Thales (as prime contractor), MMCM is an autonomous ‘system of systems' designed to detect and localise mine threats and other underwater explosive devices down to depths of 300 m and then deploy a capability to identify and neutralise those threats. OCCAR is acting as contracting management authority on behalf of the French Direction générale de l'armement and the UK Defence Equipment and Support organisation.

The full MMCM end-to-end suite comprises unmanned platforms, minehunting payloads (sensors and neutralisers), and remote command centres (deployed from a ship or sited ashore) hosting command and sonar analysis software. Saab is supplying MuMNS – the neutraliser component – as a subcontractor to Thales.

Deployed from an unmanned surface vessel, MuMNS uses a ruggedised remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to deploy disposal charges onto mine targets by means of a ‘nail gun' attachment function. In a live operation, the ROV would ‘nail' a disposal charge to up to three mine targets and then retreat to a safe distance prior to detonation.