Exail has secured a contract to supply several hundred K-Ster unmanned underwater vehicles for mine disposal to multiple naval customers.
Valued at €40 million ($46.8 million), the order represents the company’s second-largest contract for the system, following a €60 million ($70.2 million) NATO award received in August 2024.
Exail stated that production will take place at its Ostend facility in Belgium, which was inaugurated in 2022 and is steadily expanding output to support international mine countermeasures programs.
The K-Ster drones are expected to be employed during the final phase of minehunting operations, where they function as expendable assets designed to neutralize mines through controlled destruction.
Designed for flexibility, the K-Ster can be deployed from naval vessels, small support craft, or shore-based mine countermeasure centers.
The underwater drone measures 1.5 meters in length, 50 centimeters in width, and weighs approximately 50 kilograms.
It is capable of operating at speeds of up to 6 km/h, diving to depths of 300 meters, and engaging targets at ranges of up to 2,000 meters.
