The Belgian and Dutch navies announced plans on 15 March to acquire 12 new mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels, with six being ordered by each nation. The new MCMs will host and operate modern remotely operated mine-hunting systems designed to keep the manned vessels away from potential minefields. These vessels and their unmanned vehicles will be built by the consortium Belgium Naval & Robotics, formed by the French companies Naval Group and ECA Robotics. Current plans call for Belgium to receive the first of the new 262-foot mine hunters in 2023, while the Netherlands will receive its first unit the following year. These new ships will replace the aging Tripartite-class mine hunters that entered Belgian, Dutch, and French service beginning in the 1980s. Many Tripartite-class MCMs remain in operation around the word, including five in the Belgian Navy and six in Dutch service, where they are sometimes referred to as the Flower-class and the Alkmaar-class, respectively.
Japan commissioned the Shōryū, its 10th Sōryū-class air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarine on 18 March. Launched in November 2017, the 275-foot Shōryū and her nine older sisters are the world’s largest non–nuclear-powered submarines, displacing 2,900 tons surfaced and 4,200 tons submerged. Their design includes X-configuration stern control surfaces to provide enhanced maneuverability. Two Kawasaki 12V 25S diesel engines enable boats of the class to reach a top speed of 20 knots, and four Sterling V4-275R Mk-2 AIP units allow for extended periods of submerged operation. They are operated by a crew of 65. The submarines are fitted with six 21-inch torpedo tubes and carry a mix of Type 89 heavyweight torpedoes and Harpoon antiship missiles. At least two additional Sōryū-class submarines are planned by 2022. These future boats will be fitted with lithium-ion batteries in place of the current lead-acid battery system, which will provide a number of operational and design benefits.
Spain’s newest offshore patrol vessel, the Furor, was commissioned on 21 January. The vessel carries a crew of roughly 50 sailors. She is the sixth ship of the Meteoro-class, also known as “BAM”—Buques de Acción Marítima (Maritime Action Ships), the Spanish acronym for the project—to enter service. Measuring 308 feet long with a 46.6-foot beam, a 13.8-foot draft, and a 2,900-ton loaded displacement, the BAM are fitted with a cargo crane and a helicopter landing deck and hangar and carry two rigid-hull inflatable boats. They are armed with a single 76-mm/62-caliber gun and two 25-mm autocannon. The class’s modular design permits the vessels to carry out a wide variety of missions, including fisheries protection, coastal patrol, counterpiracy, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, hydrographic research, intelligence collection, diving support, and salvage operations. The Furor joins five sisters already in service: the Meteoro, Rayo, Relámpago, Tornado, and Audaz. Current plans call for acquisition of three additional BAM in the future.