Belgium Investigates Smoke Incident on New Minehunter Ship

Smoke Incident Aboard New Belgian Minehunter Under Investigation

Belgian authorities are investigating what Defense Minister Theo Francken has called a 'remarkable' incident aboard the brand-new minehunter M940 Oostende in Zeebrugge. On Tuesday evening, smoke was detected coming from the vessel's Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) installation, which had overheated. The Bruges Fire Service was called to the scene around 7:30pm and successfully cooled the system, though no actual fire was reported.

'There was no fire on board, but we had to cool several heated zones,' Francken told reporters. 'It appears to be a technical malfunction in part of the exhaust system. We expect more clarity in the coming days.'

Sabotage Concerns Raised

The incident has raised security concerns, coming just days after two men were arrested in Germany on suspicion of attempting to sabotage naval vessels in Hamburg harbor. When questioned by parliament members about potential sabotage, Francken acknowledged the parallel. 'In Germany there are sabotage actions underway, we have seen that,' he stated, though he declined to speculate whether similar activities might have occurred in Zeebrugge.

The M940 Oostende had just left dry dock on Monday after being delivered in November 2025. The vessel is part of a joint Belgian-Dutch program to acquire twelve next-generation minehunters - six for each country. The first Dutch vessel, named Vlissingen, is expected to arrive in the Netherlands later this month.

Advanced Drone Technology

These new minehunters represent a significant technological leap, manufactured by the Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium. They are equipped with both flying and sailing drones for mine detection and neutralization. Beyond traditional mine-clearing duties, the ships will also be tasked with protecting undersea cables - critical infrastructure increasingly vulnerable to sabotage.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense is monitoring the Belgian investigation closely. A spokesperson told the NOS that no similar incidents have occurred with the Vlissingen, which was launched in France in 2023 and will arrive in the Netherlands this month. The remaining five ships for each country will be delivered over the coming years.

Cost Overruns Plague Project

The minehunter program has faced significant budget challenges. Originally budgeted at 883 million euros for the six Dutch ships, costs have escalated by over a quarter billion euros according to AD reports. Defense officials attribute the increases primarily to rising material prices.

In Belgium, the situation is even more dramatic. The Belgian Court of Audit reported that costs for the six Belgian ships have ballooned from 0.97 to 1.57 billion euros due to inflation, as detailed in their report. Additional modifications to meet new requirements for protecting submarine infrastructure have further increased expenses.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for European naval security, with heightened concerns about maritime infrastructure protection following recent sabotage attempts in Germany and increased drone surveillance activities near military installations across the continent.