The M941 Tournai (Doornik) has arrived at the Belgian navy base in Zeebrugge, the second of six new minehunters for the Belgian navy.
Belgium and the Netherlands jointly ordered 12 mine-hunting vessels, with six ships allocated to each navy.
Belgium received its first vessel, the M940 Oostende, in November 2025.
Unlike traditional minehunters, the new vessels remain outside the danger zone during operations.
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Instead, they deploy drones to detect and destroy mines. These unmanned craft are launched from the ship’s hull and are themselves equipped with smaller underwater and surface drones.
With this modernised mine countermeasure capability, the navy can “guarantee freedom of navigation and protect critical infrastructure, both in the Belgian exclusive economic zone and in its international areas of operation”, Defence said.
