First new rMCM vessel for Dutch navy starts sea trials

Vlissingen, the first MCM mother ship destined for the RNLN as part of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme, started initial sea trials off the coast of Concarneau, France, on 27 March. (Naval Group)

Thefirst new mine-countermeasures vessel (MCMV) destined for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) under the Belgian/Netherlands (BE/NL) joint replacement MCM (rMCM) programme has started initial sea trials.

Vlissingen (M 840), which is the second in a series of 12 MCMVs planned for the rMCM programme, was put to sea for the first time off the coast of Concarneau, France, on 27 March.

Announcing the milestone on 28 March, Naval Group said the initial sea trials focussed on the performance of the propulsion and navigation systems.

Vlissingen was laid down at Piriou's shipyard in Concarneau on 14 June 2022 and launched on 19 October 2023. Following the completion of its sea acceptance test programme, the shipis planned to be delivered to the RNLN at the end of 2025.

Building on a long history of collaboration between Belgium and the Netherlands, the Belgian-led rMCM programme aims to replace the Tripartite-class minehunters operated by the navies of the two countries for the past 30 years with a next-generation ‘stand-off' MCM capability.

Belgium Naval and Robotics is delivering the rMCM programme under a EUR2 billion (USD2.18 billion) contract awarded by the Belgian Ministry of Defence in 2019. The 10-year contract includes the supply of 12 2,800 tonne displacement mother ships (six for each navy) plus 10 accompanying MCM toolboxes, totalling around 100 unmanned/autonomous systems drawn from Exail's UMIS offboard MCM suite.