https://www.navalnews.com/news/2019/02/ ... m-program/As the Belgian-Dutch MCM tender is heating up, the Sea Naval Solutions (SNS) consortium (Thales-Engine Deck Repair-Chantier de l’Atlantique-Socarenam) invited Naval News in Antwerp to detail its proposal and to outline the capabilities of EDR shipyard.
Belgian Armed Forces
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Sea Naval Solutions details proposal for the Belgian-Dutch MCM Program
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Having any costing been released for these submissions to this requirement. Both are very interesting but do they cost more than the vessels they are replacing adjusting the construction costs for the latter to present values.
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Belgian and French Navies Considering ASW Helicopter Collaboration
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... aboration/The Belgian Navy (Marinecomponent / Composante marine) and the French Navy (Marine Nationale) are considering collaboration opportunities for their NH90 NFH helicopters, specifically in the field of Anti-Submarine Warfare.
“The Belgian Navy continues its efforts to develop its NFH / ASW capability aboard its frigates. In this context, the Belgian Navy makes reconnaissance visits to its allies to see what synergies would be possible in the near to medium term future, as part of the pilots and tactical air controllers’ training. The French Navy has taken note of our questions and will study them in detail.”
Belgian Navy public affairs officer contacted by Naval News
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Naval Group & ECA Group Win Belgian-Dutch MCM Vessel Competition
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... mpetition/The French consortium Belgium Naval & Robotics (formed by Naval Group & ECA Group) won the Belgian-Dutch MCM Program, the Kern (Belgian Council of Ministers) confirmed today, beating the two other competitors, Damen and Sea Naval Solutions.
...
According to Belgian daily newspaper L’Echo, Naval Group and ECA Group underbid its competitors: The procurement of 12 vessels and associated equipment would ultimately amount to 1.756 billion euros, at the rate of 887 million for Belgium and 966 million for the Netherlands.
Under this 2Bn€ program, the Belgian Naval & Robotics consortium will design and produce 12 new generation Mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels and 10 tool boxes. The Belgian Navy (Marinecomponent / Composante marine) and the Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) will each get 6 so called mine warfare “motherships”. Belgium was the lead nation for this procurement process.
- ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
That was quick! And looks like good value, tooxav wrote:Belgium Naval & Robotics (formed by Naval Group & ECA Group) won the Belgian-Dutch MCM Program
They talk about frigates, but the MCM motherships have helo pads (coming) and can serve as jumping off/ refuelling points to support an ASW effort over a wider areaxav wrote: collaboration opportunities for their NH90 NFH helicopters, specifically in the field of Anti-Submarine Warfare.
[...] In this context, the Belgian Navy makes reconnaissance visits to its allies to see what synergies would be possible
- no wonder they are collaborating with the French; at least until France retired its Alphajets the transition training , before Belgian pilots getting into their fighter jets, was also done on that side of the border
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
This is what the Future Belgian & Dutch MCM Motherships will Look Like
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... look-like/The Belgian Ministry of Defense recently contracted the consortium Belgian Naval & Robotics (formed by Naval Group & ECA Group) to supply 12 vessels and associated equipment to the Belgian and Dutch Navies. Naval Group shared some detailed images of the future vessels with us. Here is what can be learned from these images.
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Let's buy one... just for "continued trials"xav wrote:supply 12 vessels and associated equipment to the Belgian and Dutch Navies
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
God its ugly! But it's interesting that it bucks the trend for increased visibility from the bridge, particularly to the sides and rear. Which given the way in which it deploys USV's is a little odd.xav wrote:This is what the Future Belgian & Dutch MCM Motherships will Look Like
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
... but functionalTimmymagic wrote:God its ugly!
Eyes in the back? Though the new Japanese CIC might be a tad expensive for a vessel like this oneTimmymagic wrote:visibility from the bridge, particularly to the sides and rear. Which given the way in which it deploys USV's
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Opening the toolbox: ECA’s solution for the Belgian-Dutch MCM program
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... m-program/ECA Group has been supplying the Belgian Navy for almost 40 years, through the delivery of PAP mine neutralization autonomous unmanned vehicles (AUV) operated from Tripartite-class MCM vessels. Today, ECA Group, via its ECA Robotics subsidiary, is set to provide the Belgian and Dutch Navies with a truly innovative suite of autonomous systems under a 450M€ contract.
Naval News sat down with ECA Group’s Daniel Scourzic, VP Strategic Programs, to learn all about the company’s wide offer.
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
I wonder, would this platform or a derivative be option for the Royal Navy's next MCV etc?
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Don't see why not...Lord Jim wrote:I wonder, would this platform or a derivative be option for the Royal Navy's next MCV etc?
Fortune favors brave sir, said Carrot cheerfully.
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Belgian Navy Frigate Leopold I Set Sails for NATO Deployment
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... eployment/The Belgian Navy (Marinecomponent / Composante marine) frigate Leopold I started today a 5-month long deployment as part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1).
Leopold I, a Karel Doorman-class frigate, and also the flagship of the Belgian fleet, set sails today from Zeebrugge naval base.
SNMG1 is one of two NATO’s standing naval maritime immediate reaction forces.
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Belgian F16 crashes - both crew reported safe
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49751536
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49751536
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Commander s.g. (OF-4) Claude Bultot, MCM Program Manager discusses the technical aspects of the future mine warfare mothership and toolbox selected for the Belgian Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy.
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
I still think these vessels would be a good replacement for our legacy MCM platforms. I do not know if the USV proposed for the Dutch and Belgian navies is small enough to fit in the bays of our planned T-31s but if it is then we could have a common system across the fleet. Having just on type of USV should be the key driver for our future MCM capability. Six to eight of the Dutch/Belgian MCM vessels would be out core force, but we would also be able to use out T-31s for expeditionary operations further afield. Of course such a programme is not funded at present, so I would not think any progress will be made before 2025 at the earliest, for the purchase of new MCM manned vessels. However the Royal Navy's USV programme seems to be going from strength to strength and so we could so a MCM USV in service operating of out escorts before any new dedicated MCM platform.
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
A stated aim of the prgrm where the unmanned parts were developed in co-operation with France, but being agnostic as to what type of vessel they would be launched fromLord Jim wrote:we could so a MCM USV in service operating of out escorts before any new dedicated MCM platform.
- noting that the surface launch part, released from a mothership, could also be unmanned
- so what the motherships can accommodate can be different,
- while the underwater parts (what was taking so long to develop and experiment with) can still be shared
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Do we know how far along the programme to develop the UUV part of the "Tool Box", is? With so many alternatives being developed elsewhere is this a capability and given the ongoing budgetary restraints, should we look to these rather than once again reinvent the wheel?ArmChairCivvy wrote:A stated aim of the prgrm where the unmanned parts were developed in co-operation with France, but being agnostic as to what type of vessel they would be launched from
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
There's is a piece from @xav from the successful trials of the French one (which thread? can't remember) where the RN selection announcement (just as a side remark) was indicated to be coming in 2021Lord Jim wrote: how far along the programme to develop the UUV part
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
I wonder why do they allways show a WW1 type of mines in such videos?
Fortune favors brave sir, said Carrot cheerfully.
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…
What's her position about heavily armed, well prepared and overmanned armies?
Oh, noone's ever heard of Fortune favoring them, sir.
According to General Tacticus, it's because they favor themselves…
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
Far more recognisable to the general public! (Coastal Town Street Scene etc.).
Re: Belgian Armed Forces
I interviewed last week the commander of the Belgian Navy about the MCM replacement and future Frigate programs (and their possible BMD capability...)
- ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Belgian Armed Forces
The admiral was clear on them looking into having a "shooter" capability, so the ships would slot into a wider network
... rather than in themselves becoming prohibitively expensive
... rather than in themselves becoming prohibitively expensive
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)