Thales delivers MMCM USV to French Navy

Thales has delivered a maritime mine-counter measures (MMCM) uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the French Navy, according to a November 6th press release. The USV represents “a first-of-its-kind capability for maritime defence operations,” the press release states, and follows delivery of the first system in December 2024, and the first delivery to the Royal Navy in March this year. 

The two navies have been working together since the Lancaster House agreement was signed in 2010, and the goal is to develop uncrewed MMCM systems that can detect sea mines without putting personnel within harm’s reach. The programme is led by Thales with contributions from others like BAE Systems.

• DSEI UK 2025: Forcit Defence presents sea mines for the first time 
• Oceanus12 USV achieves several firsts during REPMUS – Calibre Defence 

The complete capability employs a defence favourite: The system-of-systems. In a nutshell, this means a lot of different things working together on the same job. The wider MMCM capability set consists of crewed vessels like the UK’s Royal Navy Motor Boat (RNMB) ARIADNE – a USV – that might be deployed from a harbour or crewed mother ship. Additional elements include Autonomous Underwater Vehicles and another USV fitted with a remotely operated vehicle – the MUMMs from Saab – that is used to neutralise mines. 

The heart of the detection capability is the Thales TSAM towed sonar, which is towed behind the USV, and the SAMDIS multi-view sonar carried onboard the USV. “It provides a sea mine detection rate over 99% and thus guarantees naval forces operational superiority in the face of increasingly complex threats,” Thales states. 

Calibre comment: MMCM matters 

• Russia and the strategic challenge to the North – Calibre Defence 
• DSEI 2025: SEA, KraitSense, and the ASW gap – Calibre Defence

Much is often made of Russia’s threat to the land. This is understandable, it is a country dominated by an expansive land mass and shares extensive borders with Europe. However, in many ways it is the Russian navy and its mass of missiles and nuclear weapons that poses the most severe risk to NATO and Europe. For that reason, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is seen as a critical role for NATO’s maritime powers. However, it would be possible for Russia to restrict the movement of British and French ASW vessels using mines laid along the predictable routes that they would have to travel in order to patrol the areas likely to be used by Russian submarines. So, it stands to reason that if NATO cannot clear sea mines, it cannot conduct ASW at the scale needed, which is a very important element of the alliance’s deterrent posture. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on November 10th, 2025. The lead image shows one of the MMCM USVs equipped with a remotely operated vehicle. Credit: Thales picture © Polaryse.