The European Commission has selected Naval Group to lead the European Extended Mine Countermeasures (E=MCM) project for three years.
The company’s Belgian subsidiary will lead 21 European companies in the development of a new capability to counter mine threats in both the civil and military naval sectors.
All firms will collaborate on the design, prototype, and demonstration of a future single system-of-systems architecture, complete with scalable unmanned autonomous toolboxes and decision-support tools.
E=MCM aims to close developmental gaps in the global MCM field by establishing better, faster, safer, and more resilient equipment for future demining operations.
Work for the program will begin in the last quarter of this year.
Lessons From MIRICLE
The E=MCM project is based largely on the Mine Risk Clearance for Europe (MIRICLE) project, a European Commission-led initiative to develop the main components of a stand-off mine warfare solution.
Launched in 2021, the 24-month endeavor introduced next-generation MCM technologies for the EU’s mine-clearing missions.
The union continues to promote mine awareness by financially supporting mine action groups, as well as donating clearing equipment to war-torn areas such as Ukraine.