Joining the Navy in 2003 as student at the Royal Military Academy of Brussels, Cdr Doyen graduated as a Master in Management & Weapons systems in 2008.

After a year of specialisation at the navy academy of Brugges, he has been appointed as navigation officer on board mine hunter Crocus. A year later he is appointed as Operation officer on board mine hunter Narcis. During this period on board, he participated at the operation Unified Protector in front of the Libyan coast.

In 2012 he studied for a year to become Principle Warfare Officer NMW at the Dutch Operation School in Den Helder and at Eguermin in Ostend.

He was then appointed to work in the navy staff but during this period he joined twice the staff of the SNMCMG1, operating in the North Sea, Baltic sea and around UK. He then was appointed as XO of the minehunter Narcis.

One again he studied a year back at the Royal Military Academy as a candidate Higher Officer.

Following this study, he became CO of minehunter Bellis. Under his command, the Bellis participated several times in the SNMCMG1. The Bellis also successfully survived the COVID crisis and continued to perform countermining at sea even during the lockdown.

Since 2021, Cdr Nicolas Doyen worked with the ABNL rMCM project office to prepare the arrival of the new MCMV of the BE/NL Fleets. He is working there as NMW SME and as coordinator for the factory training.

He is appointed as the commanding officer of M940 Ostend, the first of class of the new Belgian MCM Fleet.