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The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has delivered a new-generation unmanned surface vessel (USV) for mine countermeasures to the French Navy. This milestone marks a significant step in the Franco-British Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) program and reflects growing reliance on autonomous systems in naval operations.
MMCM Program Overview: A Franco-British Autonomous Mine Warfare Initiative
The Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) program is a bilateral initiative launched by France and the United Kingdom in 2015 to develop an advanced autonomous system for detecting and neutralizing naval mines. Managed by OCCAR on behalf of both nations’ defense ministries—France’s DGA and the UK’s DE&S—the program aims to replace traditional minehunters with modular unmanned systems that reduce risk to personnel while increasing operational efficiency.
Thales serves as the prime contractor for both countries, with ECA Group (now part of Exail Technologies) providing key subsystems including autonomous vehicles. The MMCM system comprises multiple components:
- An Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), based on ECA’s Inspector 125 platform
- A Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (TSAS), developed by Thales
- An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), typically ECA’s A18-M
- A remotely operated vehicle (ROV), such as ECA’s Seascan or K-STER C for mine neutralization
- A Portable Operations Centre (POC) enabling command-and-control from shore or mothership
Delivery Milestone: France Receives First Operational USV Package
According to Naval News and corroborated by OCCAR’s October 2025 update, this delivery includes one complete USV system equipped with its sonar payloads and control architecture. The handover follows successful qualification trials conducted earlier this year at DGA test facilities in Brest.
This marks France’s first operational receipt of a full MMCM package. The Royal Navy had already received its first delivery in May 2023 under the same program framework. Both navies are expected to receive four systems each by 2026.
Technical Profile of the Inspector 125-Based USV
The core platform delivered is based on ECA Group’s Inspector 125—a semi-autonomous catamaran optimized for stability and payload integration. Key specifications include:
- Length: ~12 meters
- Displacement: ~10 tonnes fully loaded
- Payload capacity: up to 3 tonnes
- Cruising speed: ~10 knots; max speed ~15 knots
- Endurance: >24 hours depending on mission profile
The vessel features diesel-electric propulsion with hybrid energy management systems allowing quiet operation during sonar deployment. It can operate fully autonomously or be remotely piloted via secure datalinks from shore or motherships such as France’s future Bâtiments de Guerre des Mines (BGDM).
Sensors & Payloads Enhance Multi-Domain MCM Capability
The delivered USV integrates Thales’ Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar—a high-resolution sonar capable of detecting buried or low-signature mines across wide swaths of seabed. This is complemented by AUVs like the A18-M which can survey deeper waters independently.
For neutralization tasks, ROVs such as K-STER C are deployed from either the USV or support vessels. These expendable ROVs carry shaped charges designed to destroy detected mines safely at standoff distances.
Tactical Implications for French Naval Doctrine
The introduction of autonomous MCM systems aligns with France’s broader naval modernization strategy under its Mercator plan and aligns with NATO’s push toward distributed maritime operations. By removing human divers and crewed minehunters from high-risk zones, these systems improve survivability while enabling faster clearance operations in contested littorals.
The modularity also allows rapid deployment aboard various platforms—from amphibious ships to commercial vessels retrofitted as motherships—enhancing operational flexibility across theaters like the Baltic Sea or Indo-Pacific where mine threats persist.
Next Steps & Industrial Outlook
With this delivery complete, further sea acceptance trials will validate full-system integration under real-world conditions. Additional deliveries are expected through late 2026 for both navies.
This program also strengthens European defense industrial cooperation between Thales UK/France and Exail Technologies amid growing emphasis on strategic autonomy within EU defense policy frameworks like PESCO and EDF funding streams.
Conclusion: Toward Fully Autonomous Naval MCM Ecosystems
This milestone underscores how navies are transitioning toward robotic-first approaches in domains historically dominated by manned platforms. As AI-enabled autonomy matures alongside robust C4ISR links, future iterations may see swarms of interoperable unmanned assets conducting persistent surveillance and clearance missions without direct human control—reshaping undersea warfare paradigms over the next decade.
