The class was constructed in the 1980s–1990s in all three countries, using a mix of minehunting, electrical and propulsion systems from the three member nations.

In 2007, the Latvian Naval Forces acquired five ships from the Netherlands which had been taken out of service at the beginning of the decade.

[2] A 5.1 tonnes (5 long tons) container can be stored aboard the ships for additional supply room.

In normal operations the minehunters are powered by a 1,400-kilowatt (1,900 bhp) Brons-Werkspoor (later Wärtsilä) A-RUB 215V-12 diesel engine turning one shaft with a LIPS controllable pitch propeller.

[1] The minehunters were equipped with DUBM 21B sonar that could detect and classify ground and moored mines to a range of 80 metres (260 ft).

[3][2] The Éridan class is armed with one 20 mm modèle F2 gun capable of firing 720 rounds per minute to a range of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi).

[2] The French vessels have limited minesweeping ability and were initially only fitted with mechanical sweep gear.

This led to the vessels being reordered this time from Béliard Shipyard, which constructed the hulls at their yard in Ostend, Belgium before completing the minehunters at Rupelmonde.

When minehunting, the Belgian vessels carry six divers and can have a portable decompression chamber installed abaft the forecastle break.

All remaining Belgian vessels have undergone an extensive upgrade during 2004–2008 involving replacement of the anti-mine warfare equipment.

Beginning in 2003, the remaining Dutch Alkmaar-class minehunters were upgraded with improved electronics, including Atlas Elektronik INCMS combat data system, Thales 2022 Mk III hull-mounted sonar, Atlas Seafox Mine Identification and Disposal System and a Double Eagle Mk III Mod 1 ROV.

Middelburg and Hellevoetsluis were optioned by Egypt, but due to financial issues, were instead completed for the Royal Netherlands Navy.

[15] Two ships of a modified design were built for the Indonesian Navy which led to the delay of Vlaardingen and Willemstad's construction.

[17] Four more ships, (Haarlem, Maassluis, Middelburg and Hellevoetsluis) were decommissioned in 2011 following a series of deep budget cuts to the navy.

[24] The Indonesian Navy ordered two minehunters based on the Alkmaar class from the Netherlands on 29 March 1985.

For conventional missions the vessels are powered by two MTU 12V 396 TCD91 diesel engines turning one shaft with a LIPS controllable pitch propeller rated at 1,400 kilowatts (1,900 hp) for a maximum speed of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph).

Using the auxiliary propulsion system, the Pulau Rengat class has a maximum speed of 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph).

The two ships were initially part of the Royal Netherlands Navy production and were given Dutch names.

[26] In 2007, the Latvian Naval Forces acquired five Alkmaar-class minehunters (Alkmaar, Delfzijl, Dordrecht, Harlingen and Scheveningen) from the Royal Netherlands Navy.

These five use the Signaal Sewaaco IX combat data system and the Thomson Sintra DUBM 21A sonar.

[17] In 2020, the Latvian Naval Forces signed contract with ECA Group for the modernization of three of its Alkmaar-class minehunters, replacing the conventional detection system based on a hull sonar for mines with a smaller unmanned system consisting of the underwater drones AUV A18-M for detection and underwater robots Seascan MK2 and K-STER C for identification and clearance of the mines.

[21] On a visit to the port cities of Mykolaiv and Odesa, Dutch Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren announced that two ships will be donated to the Ukrainian Navy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine has ended.

[36] Belgium gave the green-light to start the procurement on 26 January 2018 and approved a budget of 1.1 billion euros for the six Belgian MCM ships.

A Franco-Belgium consortium made up of French shipbuilders STX France and Socarenam together with Belgium's EDR bid for the 12 new MCM vessels.