Belgian Minehunter BNS Bellis M916
A joint venture of the navies of France, Belgium,
and the Netherlands,
the Tripartite class of minehunters were conceived in the 1970s and built in
the 1980s. France built the
mine-hunting equipment, Belgium
provided the electronics, and the Netherlands constructed the
propulsion train. France and
the Netherlands originally
bought 15, with Belgium
buying 10.
Originally the 10 ships were
built for the Belgian navy. All remaining Belgian vessels have undergone an
extensive upgrade during 2004-2008 involving replacement of the anti-mine
warfare equipment. Also called "CMT" for Chasseur de Mines
Tripartite, They are named after flowers and are thus sometimes called the
"Flower" class in international literature.
Currently in service:
Aster M915
Bellis M916
Crocus M917
Lobelia M921
Narcis M923
Primula M924
Formerly:
Iris
|
M920
|
Sold to France
|
Verseau
|
M651
|
Fuchsia
|
M919
|
Sold to France
|
Céphée
|
M652
|
Dianthus
|
M918
|
Sold to France
|
Capricorne
|
M653
|
Myosotis
|
M922
|
Sold to Bulgaria
|
Tsibar
|
M900
|
Bellis (M916) is a
Tripartite-class minehunter of the Belgian Naval Component, launched on 14
February 1986 at the Mercantile-Belyard shipyard in Rupelmonde and christened
by Ellen Goffinet-Rosman, the wife of the then Mayor of Arlon, on 18 September
1986. The patronage of the Bellis was accepted by the city of Arlon. She is the second of the Belgian
Tripartite-class minehunters.
Commissioned on 13 August 1986,
the ship was involved in the rescue of the Herald of Free Enterprise in March
1987.
The Tripartite class is a class
of mine warfare vessel used by the navies of Belgium, France, the Netherlands,
as well as Pakistan, Indonesia, Latvia, and Bulgaria.
She is seen here arriving in Leith on Friday 25th May 2012:
