Belgium Orders Boats for Ukraine to Deploy K-STER C Mine-Clearing Drones

Belgium has ordered three special TRIDENT boats for Ukraine, which will be used to deploy K-STER C maritime mine-clearing drones.

According to a procurement notice published on the Belgian e-procurement platform e-Procurement, the contract was officially awarded to Exail Robotics Belgium.

The Belgian Ministry of Defence has allocated €9.9 million for this procurement.

TRIDENT (Tactical RHIB for Identification and Disposal of Explosive Naval Threats) is a tactical boat designed to detect and neutralize explosive naval threats.

The procurement was carried out through a negotiated procedure without a prior competitive bidding process. The contract term is 24 months.

The K-STER C underwater mine-clearing drones are manufactured by the Belgian company Exail.

K-STER C Drones

The K-STER C is a lightweight underwater drone designed for mine clearance, equipped with a shaped charge at the front.

The swiveling warhead is designed for precise targeting of various types of underwater mines.

Additionally, the K-STER C incorporates technologies aimed at reducing its acoustic and magnetic signature.

The drone is 1,500 mm long, 445 mm high, and weighs 55 kg in the air.

The head section can tilt and rotate from +90° to −90°, allowing it to destroy mines at the required angle.

Power is supplied by a lithium-ion battery. The propulsion system includes two horizontal and two vertical motors.

The sonar is dual-frequency and designed to detect targets at long range and navigate precisely toward them.

The drone is equipped with a day/night camera and a searchlight. Its operational endurance is up to one hour.

The maximum speed reaches 5 knots, while the nominal speed ranges from 0 to 3 knots.

The maximum operating depth is 300 meters. The operational range is up to 1,500 meters.

No previous reports had indicated that these drones were being ordered for Ukraine. It is known that Lithuania previously ordered K-STER units.