On 5 January 2026, Exail announced the signing of a new order worth approximately €40 million, covering several hundred K-STER mine neutralization underwater drones. Intended for several European navies, the order was placed through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).
This order falls within the framework agreement signed in 2024, which enables Alliance navies to procure these systems rapidly through a streamlined acquisition process. It confirms the momentum among European navies to modernize their mine countermeasure (MCM) capabilities by adopting autonomous systems.
K-STER drones are used during the final phase of mine clearance operations to neutralize underwater threats previously detected by other drones within the UMIS system. These are so-called “consumable” drones, which are destroyed during the mine neutralization process and generate recurring revenues throughout the operational life of the systems.
Production of the ordered drones will be carried out at the Ostend industrial site in Belgium, opened in 2022 and now fully operational to support the ramp-up of major mine countermeasure modernization programs.
