Belgium and Netherlands have transferred two minehunters to Ukrainian Navy. PHOTO
Ukraine has received minehunters BNS Narcis and Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen from Belgium and the Netherlands.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to UNIAN.
The ships were handed over at Zeebrugge Belgian naval base.
The ship from the Netherlands, Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen was named "Melitopol". At the end of the year, Ukraine will also receive the Zr.Ms. Makkum, which will be named after the city of Henichesk.
"Mine hunters are entering a new chapter, under a new flag, with a new mission. Odesa's main ports and Black Sea shipping lanes are vital to the Ukrainian economy. And they are under constant threat," said Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans during the ceremony.
It is noted that Ukrainian crews have been training hard to work with these ships with the help of Belgian and Dutch instructors, technicians and repair teams.
According to Militarnyi, Ukraine has received Alkmaar (Tripartite) minesweepers. This is a class of minesweepers developed jointly in the interests of Belgium, France and the Netherlands on the basis of French Circé ships. A total of 35 ships were built for the three fleets in the 1980s and 1990s.
The crew consists of 4 officers, 15 sergeants and 17 enlisted personnel. They are armed with three 12.7 mm machine guns.
Since 2003, the minesweepers have been upgraded with advanced electronics, including the Atlas Elektronik INCMS combat data system. They also installed a Thales 2022 Mk III sonar and Atlas Seafox and Double Eagle Mk III Mod 1 ROV mine detection and clearance systems.
These ships can not only detect and defuse mines, but also serve as logistics vessels for the transport of cargo and ammunition.
