Exail has been awarded a €40 million ($46.8 million) contract to deliver hundreds of K-Ster unmanned underwater mine disposal vehicles to several navies.
The deal marks the company’s second-largest contract for the K-Ster system, following a €60 million ($70.2 million) NATO procurement announced in August 2024.
Manufacturing of the systems will be carried out at Exail’s Ostend production center in Belgium, which has been operational since 2022 and continues to scale up production for multinational mine countermeasure programs.
The K-Ster drones are intended for use in the terminal phase of minehunting missions, where they are deployed as expendable platforms designed to be destroyed while neutralizing underwater mines.
The system can be launched from warships, auxiliary vessels, or land-based mine countermeasure facilities, offering flexible deployment options.
Each K-Ster vehicle is 1.5 meters long, 50 centimeters wide, and weighs around 50 kilograms.
Performance parameters include a maximum speed of 6 km/h, an operational depth of up to 300 meters, and an effective range of approximately 2,000 meters.
