Naval Group yesterday laid the keel for the second of the 12 Mine Countermeasure (MCM) vessels of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme, HNLMS VLISSINGEN, intended for the Royal Netherlands Navy, Naval Group writes in a press release. The keel laying ceremony took place in Lanester, in the presence of:
- Vice Admiral René Tas, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy
- Commodore Harold Boekholt, Director of Projects of the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation
- Lieutenant General Marc Thys, Belgian Deputy Chief of Defence
- Major General Ivan De Tender, Belgian Material Resources Public Procurement
This programme was awarded in 2019 to Belgium Naval & Robotics, the consortium formed by Naval Group and ECA Group, following an international competition. It provides for the supply to the Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy of 12 MCM vessels and around a hundred drones integrated as part of a toolbox that will equip the vessels. Kership, a joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou, is in charge of the production of the twelve boats which are assembled in Concarneau and Lanester. They will be armed afloat by Piriou in Concarneau.
JH
