Coinciding with the first autonomous MMCM Primary System delivery by OCCAR to the United Kingdom, a munition from the MMCM mine hunting programme was successfully fired at the Swedish Test Centre (FMV) in Motala Lake.
The testing exercise aimed to demonstrate the progress of the Neutralisation process for OCCAR customer nations, France and the UK, ahead of the MMCM’s Final Operational Capability.
The munition was attached to an ad-hoc target by a tele-operated underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), following the MMCM Neutralisation Concept of Use. The trial validated the “man away from the menace” approach enabled by MMCM.
The successful test, conducted in an operational-like environment, demonstrated cooperation between Thales (prime contractor), SAAB (ROV and Mine Neutralisation System subcontractor), and OCCAR. French and British customers (DGA and DE&S) and end-users (French and UK Navies) observed the demonstration.
On 25 March 2025, the munition completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) and Test Readiness Review (TRR), enabling the MNS to enter its qualification phase.
MMCM (Maritime Mine Counter Measure) is the world’s first autonomous mine hunting system. After mine detection and localization, the ROV identifies and neutralizes threats using the MNS munition.