France opens competition for mine support vessels

France has launched a competition for the supply and maintenance of mine clearance diver support vessels to enhance maritime security.  

Published via the EU’s Tenders Electronic Daily on 11 March, the competition calls for up to five mine countermeasure vessels for the military.  

Open to any business in the European Economic Area, the deadline for requests to participate is 20 April.  

No value is attributed to the final contact in the competition notice. 

The mine threat  

With reports that Iran has been laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and efforts in the Black Sea to clear those laid over the course of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, mine countermeasures are becoming more prevalent across the defence industry.  

This will result in growth across the sector, according to Research and Markets, with projections indicating that the value of the mine countermeasures market will increase from USD3.17 billion in 2025 to USD3.38 billion in 2026.  

Part of this market expansion is driven by the need for diver support vessels that aid mine neutralisation efforts when a task is too complex for autonomous or robotic systems.  

To ensure its mine countermeasure capabilities remain mission-ready, France has stipulated that the selected vendor must provide continuous maintenance of the vessels for a 10-year period.  

These services will be carried out at the facilities of the contractor or potential subcontractors. 

Vessel specifications  

The competition announcement outlines that the required mine clearance support vessels must be less than 60m long with steel or aluminium hulls, and capable of reaching speeds of 12kt.  

To support mine clearance activity, each vessel must be able to host two light craft as well as a recompression chamber, crane, and machine gun mounts.  

Additionally, the vessels must be able to accommodate 30 to 40 personnel on missions that may last up to 10 days without resupply.  

The Direction générale de l'armement (France’s defence procurement agency) notes that the vessels may also be used for logistical studies, the supply of spare parts, and training for personnel in the French Navy.