Belgian minehunter Aster (M915)

Aster M915

History
Belgium
Name| Aster
Namesake| Aster
Builder| Mercantile-Belyard Shipyard, Rupelmonde
Launched| 16 December 1985
Identification| Pennant number M915
Status| in active service
General characteristics
Class and type| Tripartite-class minehunter
Displacement|

* 536 t (528 long tons) empty
* 605 t (595 long tons) full load

Length| 51.5 m (169 ft)
Beam| 8.96 m (29.4 ft)
Height| 18.5 m (61 ft)
Draught| 3.6 m (12 ft)
Propulsion|

* 1 × 1370 kW Werkspoor RUB 215 V12 diesel engine
* 2 × 180 kW ACEC active rudders
* 1 × HOLEC bow propellor

Speed| 15 knots (28 km/h)
Range| 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Boats & landing
craft carried|

* 2 × rigid-hulled inflatable boats
* 1 × Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROV

Complement| 4 officers, 15 non-commissioned officers, 17 sailors
Sensors and
processing systems|

* 1 × Thales Underwater Systems TSM 2022 Mk III Hull Mounted Sonar
* 1 × SAAB Bofors Double Eagle Mk III Self Propelled Variable Depth Sonar
* 1 × Consilium Selesmar Type T-250/10CM003 Radar

Armament| 3 × 12.7 mm machine guns

Aster is a Tripartite-class minehunter of the Belgian Naval Component, launched on 16 December 1985 at the Mercantile-Belyard shipyard in Rupelmonde and christened by Queen Paola of Belgium. The patronage of Aster was accepted by the city of Blankenberge. Aster was the first of the Belgian Tripartite-class minehunters.

On 11 October 2007, Aster was damaged when the minesweeper collided with a fuel lighter on the River Scheldt.[1]

In early October, 2018, it was reported that the Pakistan Navy had received a decommissioned MCMV from Belgium. Jane's in its article, speculated that this could be Aster decommissioned by the Belgian Navy. Further, since the details were not provided by the parties involved, it was not clear whether the Pakistan Navy will operate it or use it as spares.[2]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Silverstone 2007, p. 9.
2. ^ Pakistan receives decommissioned MCMV from Belgium, Jane's 360, retrieved 10 October 2018

* Silverstone, Paul H. (2007). "Naval Intelligence". Warship International. Vol. 44, no. 1\. pp. 9–13. ISSN 0043-0374. JSTOR 44895530.

* v
* t
* e

Tripartite-class minehunters

Belgian Navy|

* Aster
* Bellis
* Crocus
* Dianthus
* Fuschia
* Iris
* Lobelia
* Narcis
* Myosotis
* Primula

French Navy
Éridan class|

* Aigle
* Andromède
* Capricorne (ex-Dianthus)
* Cassiopée
* Céphée (ex-Fuchsia)
* Croix du sud
* Éridan
* Lyre
* Orion
* Pégase
* Persée
* Sagittaire
* Verseau (ex-Iris)

Royal Netherlands Navy
Alkmaar class|

* Alkmaar
* Delfzijl
* Dordrecht
* Haarlem
* Harlingen
* Hellevoetsluis
* Maasluis
* Makkum
* Middelburg
* Scheveningen
* Schiedam
* Urk
* Vlaardingen
* Willemstad
* Zierikzee

Other operators

Bulgarian Navy|

* Mesta (ex-Maasluis)
* Struma (ex-Hellevoetsluis)
* Tsibar (ex-Myosotis)

Indonesian Navy
Pulau Rengat class|

* Pulau Rengat
* Pulau Rupat

Latvian Naval Forces
Imanta class|

* Imanta (ex-Harlingen)
* Rūsiņš (ex-Alkmaar)
* Tālivaldis (ex-Dordrecht)
* Viesturs (ex-Scheveningen)
* Visvaldis (ex-Delfzijl)

Pakistan Navy
Munsif class|

* Muhafiz
* Mujahid
* Munsif (ex-Sagittaire)

Ships of the Belgian Naval Component

Karel Doorman-class frigates:|

* Leopold I
* Louise-Marie

Tripartite-class minehunters:|

* Aster
* Bellis
* Crocus
* Lobelia
* Narcis
* Primula

Patrol boats:|

* Castor
* Pollux

Auxiliary vessels:|

* Zenobe Gramme
* Spich
* Werl

This Belgium-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

This article about a specific naval ship or boat is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template