Belgium Investigates Smoke Incident on New Minehunter M940 Oostende
The Belgian fire service responded to smoke aboard the new minehunter M940 Oostende in Zeebrugge. Defense Minister Theo Francken described the incident as 'remarkable' and confirmed that overheating in the exhaust system was noted, suggesting a technical malfunction. The ship was delivered last November and had been in dry dock until recently. Belgium and the Netherlands have ordered twelve minehunters, with the first, Vlissingen, expected later this month in the Netherlands. The budget for the minehunter project has increased significantly due to inflation.
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The Belgian fire service responded to smoke on the new minehunter M940 Oostende in Zeebrugge, which Defense Minister Theo Francken termed a 'remarkable' incident. No fire was reported, but the firefighting team cooled overheated areas linked to a malfunctioning exhaust system.
The ship was delivered in November 2022 and had recently been in dry dock. Belgium and the Netherlands ordered twelve minehunters, six each, with the first vessel, Vlissingen, expected to arrive in the Netherlands later this month. The project budget has escalated to over $1.5 billion due to inflation, surpassing initial estimates by more than $250 million.
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