"Phase One Completed": Latvian Navy Launches Mine Defense Ship Modernization Program
The Latvian naval forces will soon receive modernized mine defense ships. According to the press service of the Latvian Ministry of Defense, the first stage of work on the ships has been completed.
The French company ECA Group has completed the first stage of modernization of three Latvian Alkmaar type minesweepers purchased from the Netherlands in 2005. As it turned out in 2009, the ships did not meet the stated requirements, so it was proposed to upgrade. The competition was won by ECA Group.
After signing the contract in September last year, the company's specialists dismantled outdated equipment from the minesweepers and are now preparing to install the latest equipment. Instead of a conventional detection system based on a hull-mounted sonar, minesweepers will receive a smaller system consisting of AUV A18-M underwater unmanned vehicles responsible for finding mines, and Seascan MK2 and K-STER C for their identification and clearance.
The Latvian Navy hopes that the modernization will allow mine defense ships to carry out a full range of mine action. In addition, minesweepers must increase their service life.
At the same time, the command of the Latvian Navy calls the modernization of ships an intermediate option, stating that after 2030 it is planned to purchase new ships. It is not excluded that the purchase will be carried out jointly with Lithuania and Estonia.
- Latvian Navy
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