NATO orders Exail’s K-Ster maritime mine neutralization system

French AI and Mine Countermeasures (MCM) specialist Exail has announced a €40 million ($70 million) order from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). for several hundred additional K-Ster mine neutralization vehicles. This order is part of the framework agreement established in 2024 which allows all the Alliance navies to procure these systems rapidly through a streamlined acquisition process, says the company.

The K-Ster vehicles ordered by European navies will be produced in Exail’s assembly lines in Ostend, Belgium. Opened in 2022, the site is now fully operational and supports major MCM modernisation programs.

“We are very proud to see European navies renewing their confidence in our mine neutralization solutions,” said Jérôme Bendell, CEO of Exail’s Maritime Business line. “This new order confirms both the proven operational reliability of K-Ster and Exail’s central role in supporting the modernization of MCM capabilities for NATO navies.

“With our Ostend site now fully scaled up, we are prepared to support navies in the deployment of next-generation MCM capabilities.” 

This order, which reinforces the K-Ster fleets of NATO navies, directly contributes to securing sea lines of communication, protecting critical maritime infrastructure and enhancing control of the underwater domain—key strategic priorities for European nations.

The french Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM) has also selected Exail’s DriX H-9 Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) to further expand its capabilities. The acquisition supports Shom’s aim of delivering certified, high-quality maritime data more rapidly, responding to increasing civil and military demand.

Following the recent delivery and operational deployment of the DriX H-8, ordered in December 2024, SHOM has confirmed the value of uncrewed surface systems for hydrographic surveys, Exail says. Building on this experience, the new DriX H-9 will enhance survey operations offering increased endurance, greater autonomy and increased operational flexibility.  With an endurance of up to 20 days (depending on the payload), the DriX H-9 can be deployed either directly from shore or from a ship.

By leveraging uncrewed technologies, SHOM can accelerate data acquisition cycles, extend survey coverage, and ensure the timely availability of reliable information essential for a wide range of maritime applications, says Exail.

“The DriX-H9 will offer strong complementarity with Shom’s other data acquisition assets, in particular with Marlin, our DriX H-8, with which it can be operated jointly,” said Denis Creach, SHOM’s Transformation hydro-oceanographic capabilities officer.
“Its capabilities will allow deployment directly from the Brest naval base, from where it will be able to autonomously reach survey areas in the English Channel or the Atlantic Ocean “This new DriX will also benefit from the experience gained by our teams through Marlin, as well as from shared infrastructure.”