The Belgian Navy's second City-class mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel arrived at Zeebrugge on Tuesday, September 22, ahead of her transfer to the Belgian Government later this week.
Belgium Naval and Robotics, the consortium formed by French shipbuilder the Naval Group and unmanned systems specialist Exail, will transfer ownership of Tournai in Zeebruges.
The Belgian Ministry of Defence said final finishing work and replenishment will be completed before the vessel formally joins the Belgian Navy.
Tournai is the second of six replacement MCM (RMCM) vessels allocated to Belgium, following Oostende, which was handed over in November 2025. She is the third ship delivered across the RMCM programme, after Oostende and the Royal Netherlands Navy's HNLMS Vlissingen.
Belgium and the Netherlands jointly ordered 12 RMCM ships, with six allocated to each navy.
The programme was awarded to Belgium Naval and Robotics in 2019. The Naval Group designed the vessels, while Exail supplied the naval drones and unmanned vehicle mission systems.
France's Piriou is building and assembling the ships, with Kership—a joint venture between the Naval Group and Piriou—overseeing the industrial project.
Under the City class stand-off concept, the mothership and crew stay outside a mined area as unmanned systems carry out clearance operations. The ships can deploy and recover surface craft, autonomous underwater vehicles, towed sonars, aerial drones and remotely operated mine-disposal vehicles.
Tournai's transfer will be followed by additional integration and training, including trials and qualification work.
Belgium received its first uncrewed mine countermeasures systems package in March 2026. Operators subsequently conducted the first ship-based sea tests of an unmanned surface vehicle and an autonomous underwater vehicle from Oostende off Brittany in June.
The new ships will replace the Belgian and Dutch Tripartite-class mine countermeasures vessels.
The Belgian Defence Ministry said the integrated capability is intended to protect maritime supply routes and critical infrastructure within Belgium’s exclusive economic zone and during international operations.
