NATO orders €60 million worth of submarine drones for Belgian and Dutch navies
NATO's procurement agency (NSPA) has ordered €60 million worth of submarine drones from technology group Exail Robotics Belgium. The drones are intended mainly for Belgian and Dutch naval forces and will be produced in Ostend.
The purchase includes K-Ster C underwater mine disposal vehicles, designed for efficient mine neutralisation, as well as K-Ster CT training vehicles and associated equipment. The units will be produced at Exail’s production lines in Ostend, where a range of drones for the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies is also being produced as part of the modernisation programme of their Mine Counter Measure capabilities.
“We are very happy to continue our support of the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies and NATO allies with our advanced mine disposal technology. This new contract is a testament to our commitment to providing innovative and reliable solutions for MCM operations. With our purpose- built facilities in Oostende, we are already fully equipped to deliver these new systems”, said Antony Penn, Chief Commercial Officer at Exail.
Belgium and the Netherlands signed a contract in May 2019 for 12 new mine hunters, six for each navy. The new vessels are to replace the more than 30 existing Belgian-French-Dutch minehunters. These were commissioned in the 1980s.
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