BRUSSELS, Belgium Feb 04(Imran Saqib Ch/Correspondent LP) — Belgium’s Ministry of Defence has opened a formal investigation into an unusual overheating incident aboard the newly commissioned minehunter M940 Oostende, which occurred Tuesday evening at the Zeebrugge naval docks in West Flanders.
Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) briefed the Federal Parliament’s Defence Committee on Wednesday, describing the event as “remarkable” and confirming that smoke was observed around 7:30 p.m. from the vessel’s exhaust system. The brand-new ship — which had only exited dry dock the previous Monday — experienced overheating in its Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) unit, a key component designed to reduce emissions in the exhaust.
No fire broke out, and the smoke was non-toxic, officials said. Firefighters from Bruges were quickly dispatched to cool the affected system. The vessel sustained no structural damage, and the crew remained unharmed and safe throughout.
Technical experts from the Defence Ministry are now examining the precise cause of the malfunction. While initial reports point to a mechanical issue with the SCR installation, Francken did not rule out foul play. He explicitly referenced recent suspected sabotage attempts against German naval vessels in the Port of Hamburg, where two men — a Romanian and a Greek national — were arrested earlier this week for allegedly tampering with ships’ systems, including disabling safety features and introducing abrasive materials into engines.
“We must thoroughly determine what happened, who might be responsible, and how,” Francken told lawmakers. “I anticipate further developments in the coming days.”
The incident has drawn attention due to the timing and the shared design of the M940 Oostende (part of a Belgium-Netherlands collaborative program for new-generation mine countermeasures vessels), as well as heightened NATO-wide concerns over potential espionage and sabotage targeting alliance assets in Europe.
No injuries were reported, and operations at Zeebrugge were not disrupted. The investigation remains ongoing, with all hypotheses under consideration.
