Belgian minehunter Primula

Primula entering Portsmouth Naval Base, UK, 9 July 2010
History
Belgium
Name	Primula
Namesake	Primula
Builder	Mercantile-Belyard Shipyard, Rupelmonde
Launched	20 December 1990
Christened	12 June 1991
Identification	MMSI number: 205212000 Callsign: ORGP
Motto	Major longinquo reverentia
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Tripartite-class minehunter
Displacement	536 t (528 long tons) empty 605 t (595 long tons) full load
Length	51.5 m (169 ft)
Beam	8.96 m (29.4 ft)
Height	18.5 m (61 ft)
Draught	3.6 m (12 ft)
Propulsion	1 × 1370 kW Werkspoor RUB 215 V12 diesel engine 2 × 180 kW ACEC active rudders 1 × HOLEC bow propeller
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h)
Range	3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × rigid-hulled inflatable boats
Complement	4 officers, 15 non-commissioned officers, 17 sailors
Sensors & processing systems	1 × Thales Underwater Systems TSM 2022 Mk III Hull Mounted Sonar 1 × SAAB Bofors Double Eagle Mk III Self Propelled Variable Depth Sonar 1 × Consilium Selesmar Type T-250/10CM003 Radar
Armament	3 × 12.7 mm M2 machine guns 10 × Atlas Elektronik Seafox ROV

The Belgian minehunter Primula (M924) is a Tripartite-class minehunter of the Belgian Naval Component, launched on 20 December 1990 at the Mercantile-Belyard shipyard in Rupelmonde and christened by Mrs. Adriaensens, the wife of the then Mayor of Willebroek, on 12 June 1991. The patronage of Primula was accepted by the city of Willebroek. It was the tenth and last of the Belgian Tripartite-class minehunters.

She underwent major modernization works in 2004-2005, such as the replacement of the PAP-minehunting system and 20mm-gun.

In September 2025 Belgium decided that it will donate Primula to Bulgarian Navy, along with Belgium's three other remaining Tripartite-class minehunters (Bellis, Crocus and Lobelia). ^{[1] [2]}

References

1. "Belgium and the Netherlands to transfer 7 MCM vessels to Bulgaria". Naval News. 12 September 2025.
2. Jérôme Brahy (15 September 2025). "Belgium donates last four Tripartite-class minehunters to Bulgaria to secure Black Sea naval routes". Army Recognition.

External links

• Section of the website of the Belgian Ministry of Defence about the M924 Primula Archived 2009-12-09 at the Wayback Machine