BE/NL rMCM replacement
Mine counter measures (MCM) vessels locate and disarm explosives under water. They also patrol territorial waters, support the national Coast Guard and law enforcement agencies, and search for shipwrecks or lost cargo. MCM Vessels keep our busy sea lanes and harbor entrances safe; a vital condition for the Netherlands’ maritime economy. These vessels are equipped with a range of modern underwater sensors, such as hull mounted sonars, and remotely operated submersible vehicles that can approach and destroy dangerous underwater objects.
The ships would be around 80 meters in length, should sail with a relative small crew, and deploy a "MCM-Toolbox" with multiple systems that can be placed onboard depending the mission. The toolbox would include: 2 USV's / UAV's / mine hunt and mine sweep systems.
While conventional minehunters have a long and distinguished history, the Sea Naval Solutions team saw the future of mine warfare as undoubtedly belonging to unmanned systems. An overarching benefit is the sheer flexibility of unmanned systems. The set of autonomous assets selected— Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and towed sonar—can be tailored exactly to each mission. And deployment is swift: vehicles can be rapidly flown to the operational zone—a marked difference from the days when missions stopped while minehunters steamed steadily to the rescue. Next, the benefits for naval personnel. Unmanned systems mean they’re no longer obliged to work in potentially lethal danger zones and can be freed to focus on decision-making and other high-value tasks. And last, but not least, more discrete missions. As naval operations shift increasingly to coastal waters, smaller, unmanned and underwater vehicles are far more likely to pass undetected.
Making the transition to drones is far more complex than simply ordering the equipment and reaping the benefits. The risks of getting it wrong are high. First, drones must be launched and recovered, at the shore or using a mothership, often in challenging conditions—something that requires exacting electronic and mechanical expertise. And highly autonomous assets require a strong degree of systems engineering: groups of vehicles, configured for collaborative autonomy, may have to redefine their own missions: if one experiences a failure—an ever-present risk—the others may have to take over its duties. Classification carries risks too: a drone-based assessment of an area must be completely robust if a commander is to have the confidence to then deploy high-value assets to the zone. Such systems engineering is increasingly deploying Artificial Intelligence, enabling drones to learn and become ever-more autonomous. In addition, vehicles must communicate seamlessly with each other and the command station, as well as being totally cybersecure. An oversight in any of these areas risks a seven-figure cost in lost equipment and the capture of vital data.
A partnership approach was vital to a successful transition to drone-based mine warfare. What was needed was a solid blend of expertise and experience—and a genuine ability to develop a system that meets your specific needs. Expertise needs to be broad: a partner must be capable of assessing the market—possibly worldwide—to assemble the right system architecture and autonomous assets. It needed to be deep too: the ability to robustly engineer a “system of systems”, ensuring your missions succeed and costly assets are kept safe, as well as the ability to embrace the possibilities offered by AI and the digital revolution. And such expertise must be underpinned by solid experience: of mine warfare and its complexities, in developing autonomous systems, and in demonstrating them in real and demanding conditions.
Belgium Naval & Robotics, thanks to Naval Group’s recognized expertise, offers a 2800-ton militarized ship specialized in mine warfare with military characteristics (acoustic and electromagnetic discretion, shock resistance) perfectly adapted to the operational use targeted by the Belgian and Dutch navies. In particular, this vessel incorporates a launch and recovery system for ECA Group’s Inspector 125 unmanned surface vehicles (USV). This innovative, robust and reliable system ensures the safety of operators and maneuvers to protect the ship, the USV and its payloads, while offering a high level of mission availability.
The drone systems on board these innovative vessels are the latest generation of drones developed by ECA Group over the past four years. They are integrated into the C2 MCM Umisoft system connected to the Naval Group’s I4drones® system to form the mine-warfare mission system integrated into the ship’s combat system. The solution includes A18-M autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), T18-M towed sonars and Mine Identification & Destruction Systems (MIDS) composed of SEASCAN and KSTER-C remotely operated vehicles (ROV). All these drones can be operated autonomously from the USV Inspector 125. The drone system also includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and influence sweeps. The program provides for the supply of drone systems that can also be projected. Containerized and equipped with handling and communication systems, mine-hunting drone systems can be airlifted and deployed directly from the coast without a ship.
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