Passing through the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most dangerous trips a ship can make. Despite assistance from the US Navy, vessels are still being attacked, and under the surface, mines may also be lurking.
Modern mines rest on the seabed and detonate when they detect an acoustic or magnetic signal, triggering a pressure wave that can break the keel of a passing ship. Others can rise through shallow water, float or be powered toward a target.
Finding mines has traditionally been the work of specialist ships with crews of around 80 sailors. Increasingly the work is done by autonomous systems monitored from the shore, which might need only about 20 people working in shifts on land. With recruitment and retention challenges in NATO navies, these portable robot systems are attractive.
The latest conflict in the Gulf is testing more capable systems. The US military gives few details about its mine-hunting craft. In early September, Iranian forces hauled an uncrewed US autonomous submarine out of the water in the strait. The Pentagon said the vehicle, an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle from the US defense technology company Anduril, was a malfunctioning older device with no classified equipment on board. Naval analyst William Lupton said no sailors were put at risk, which is part of the point of uncrewed vessels.
Thales, the Royal Navy and France's navy have developed an uncrewed surface vehicle with sensors that detect mines using sonar developed for the oil and gas industries. It tows a 5-meter box that takes a high-resolution look at the seabed and builds a 3D picture refined by AI. Autonomous systems are cheaper than conventional minehunters and can be deployed by air along with containerized control centers.
Steve Prest, an associate fellow at the RUSI defense think tank who introduced uncrewed mine hunting into the Royal Navy, said robots can either blow up a mine or mark its position. He expects more autonomy, with AI analyzing data from the vessels on the spot. The Royal Navy recently announced its concept of a hybrid navy that mixes drones with conventional warships.
The US says it has cleared the Omani route and believes the mine threat is being managed, with shipments running at about 75 percent of pre-conflict levels.
