French shipyard Socarenam launched a "Vega" patrol for Belgium

On 2 April at Boulogne-sur-Mer the French shipyard Socarenam launched a patrol boat Vega (P 903), third type unit Castor for the Belgian marine component. For Belgium itself, this is not a spectacular expansion programme of the fleet, but a very practical reinforcement of the forces responsible for 24/7 surveillance and protection of the North Sea.

End of hull construction, start of equipment

Launching means ending essentials construction works and entering the next stage of construction. The Belgian Ministry of Defence reported that the hull, aluminum superstructure and assembly of parts of the gym components, including engines, gears and screw shafts, had already been completed. The operation itself was carried out by towing the hull from the covered dock.

Now Vega it will switch to the waterfront equipment. At this stage, other ship-wide devices, navigation systems, means of communication and sensors will be installed, integrated and tested. After this work has been completed, the patrolman will pass the tests on traps and sea trials. According to the Belgian government, the full operational readiness of the entity is to be achieved in 2027.

Third patrolman, not out of luxury, but out of need

Until now Belgium has had two OPVs type Castor — Castor (P 901) and Pollux (P 902). However, the growing number of tasks and the need to maintain a continuous presence in the North Sea made it a choice to acquire a third unit. The purchase was approved by the Belgian government on 26 January 2024, and negotiations with Socarenam shipyard were concluded in November 2024. Nettle under Vega laid down on 26 March 2025.

The Belgians do not hide that it is primarily about increasing the real availability of forces. With two patrolmen, part of the time inevitably absorb repairs, maintenance and crew training. The third unit has to reduce this problem and give a larger margin in service planning. The Belgian Ministry of Defence emphasizes that in current geopolitical realities permanent presence at sea is not a luxury but a necessity.

Not only surveillance, but also the protection of maritime critical infrastructure

Patrols of the type Castor are not exclusively used for routine water monitoring. They carry out tasks related to the surveillance of the exclusive economic zone, fisheries control, environmental protection, search and rescue operations, the prevention of smuggling and the observation of the activity of non-NATO entities. It is also increasingly important to protect maritime critical infrastructure on North Sea. 

This last area clearly shows why Belgium needed a third unit of this type. The North Sea is today not only an intensively used shipping basin, but also a space where energy installations and communications infrastructure are concentrated. Under such conditions, the new patrol vessel strengthens the state's ability to supervise, protect and react quickly.

Third patrol in modernized version

Vega will not be an exact repetition of two previous Belgian patrolmen. According to the Belgian Defence Ministry, the new entity will receive a number of technical improvements, including a passive tilting system, using water reservoirs and bulkheads, as well as solutions to improve the behaviour of the patrol boat on the wave.

The industry sources also show that the unit is to be equipped with a remote-controlled weapons station FN Herstal Sea deFNder of a 12.7 mm caliber. In structural terms, it remains a patrol boat with steel hull and aluminum superstructure. Type units Castor, derived from the OPV 530, are 53.5 metres long and fully buoyant about 570 tonnes.

Belgium strengthens the ability of permanent presence at sea

Launching Vega is not a breakthrough in a technological sense, but is of clear practical importance. Belgium is not investing in a prestigious ship, but in a unit intended for daily service in the North Sea. Such patrolmen today are responsible for real water surveillance, protection of maritime critical infrastructure and maintaining the presence of the state at sea.