Exail has delivered the Vlissingen, the second mine countermeasure vessel of the rMCM program and first one for the Royal Netherlands Navy, on 27 February 2026 in Den Helder.
“This is a highly symbolic and huge step in the pursue of a strong and trustful relationship between our nations. But it also tightens our bond and allows the Netherlands to benefit from an innovative and performative ship, who will deeply reinforce the naval power of their Navy. It is also a world premiere, as Belgium delivers for the first time a vessel for another nation, an ally," Naval Group surface ships Executive Vice President, Vincent Martinot-Lagarde, said.
This event was held in the presence of Commander of the Materiel and IT Command, Vice Admiral Jan Willem Hartman, Section Head Procurement Naval Systems (DGMR), Navy Captain Ludo Portier, Director of Operations Belgian Navy, Navy Captain Kurt De Winter, Martinot-Lagarde, and CEO Exail Robotics Belgium, Steven Luys.
“With the transfer and arrival of HNLMS VLISSINGEN, Belgium and the Netherlands take a historic and exceptional step within their binational programme. For the first time within our BeNeSam cooperation framework, a Royal Netherlands Navy vessel has been built under contract by the Belgian Minister of Defence — a milestone in which Belgium, acting as lead nation, helps deliver a naval ship for another country. This achievement reflects an exceptional depth of mutual trust and the maturity of our joint capability development. This transfer elevates our cooperation to a new strategic level," Captain Portier stated.
"With the delivery of Vlissingen, Exail continues its contribution to the Belgian-Dutch rMCM programme, in close cooperation with Naval Group and industrial partners. This milestone reflects our recognized expertise in autonomous mine countermeasure systems and our commitment to supporting the Royal Netherlands Navy with advanced, fully integrated unmanned capabilities. Together, we are contributing to strengthening NATO’s maritime security and European operational readiness," Director of the Exail Maritime Business Line, Jérôme Bendell, highlighted.