Commander Erik Kockx began his career with the Belgian Navy in 1996 at the Belgian Royal Military Academy in Brussels. After earning a master's degree in military and nautical sciences, he embarked on a dynamic career at sea, serving aboard various types of ships.
Commander Kockx's career extended beyond Belgian vessels, as he participated in international exchange programmes and served aboard platforms of various nationalities as well as in different types of operational environments and settings. This included multiple NATO deployments with both the NATO Mine Countermeasures groups SNMCMG1 and SNMCMG2, where Commander Kockx held key operational responsibilities as the SNMCMG1 Group Mine Warfare Officer. He also took part in numerous NATO exercises and was present in the Bay of Sirte with SNMCMG1 when the Libyan Uprising started in 2011.
When not at sea, Commander Kockx honed his skills in personnel management, serving in roles such as long-term and short-term personnel planner and contributing to personnel policy development. He also gained significant experience in training and education, leading efforts at Eguermin, the renowned Mine Countermeasures school in Ostend, where he was head of the Mine Hunting section. As Team Leader of the sea riders, he trained ship crews in Mine Countermeasures during workups and Mine Hunting Team Training sessions, enhancing the operational readiness of Belgian as well as Dutch Mine hunting crews.
Commander Kockx was appointed Commanding Officer of BNS Lobelia, and following his completion of the Higher Staff Course at the Royal Military Academy, he was appointed Group Commander of the Belgian Mine Warfare Group. Additionally, he played a key role in preparing the Belgian Navy for the reception of its new mine warfare capability, thereby contributing to the Group Naval Mine Warfare's readiness to meet future challenges.
Commander Erik Kockx is now embarking on his next appointment as Commander of SNMCMG1. He considers this prestigious role the pinnacle of his seagoing career as an MCM Officer, and the "cherry on the cake" of his professional journey.