April 16 (Reuters) – The United States is starting to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz and will use a variety of tools, including drones, explosive-laden robots, and helicopters, to minimize risks. However, de-mini...
April 16 (Reuters) – The United States is starting to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz and will use a variety of tools, including drones, explosive-laden robots, and helicopters, to minimize risks. However, de-mining teams may still be at risk from potential Iranian attacks.
The U.S. aims to secure the strait from mines to halt Iran's interference with shipping, which has significantly affected global energy supplies since the U.S. and Israel began strikes against Iran in late February.
Although the U.S. can use advanced technology to find and remove mines remotely, clearing a critical area like the Strait of Hormuz will still be a slow and complicated task, according to former military officers and industry experts.
Over the weekend, the U.S. military announced that it had initiated the mine-clearing operation and sent two warships through the strait, although they did not provide many details about the equipment used. They stated that more forces, including underwater drones, would be added in the coming days.
Iran recently placed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported last month by Reuters. The exact locations of these mines remain unknown.
President Donald Trump claimed over the weekend that all of Iran's mine-laying ships had been destroyed. However, experts warn that there is a possibility Tehran might deploy more mines.
Mine warfare is effective because these devices are inexpensive to produce but costly to remove. Even just the threat of a minefield can deter ships, particularly commercial ones, according to Jon Pentreath, a retired British naval officer who is now a consultant.
MODERNIZING MINESWEEPING
The U.S. Navy traditionally used manned minesweeping ships that physically entered minefields, employing sonar to locate mines and mechanical equipment to clear explosives, often with assistance from divers. Many of these older vessels have been retired.
They are being replaced by lighter ships known as littoral combat ships, which are equipped with modern mine-hunting technology, including semi-autonomous drones and remote-controlled robots that allow crews to keep their distance from the mines. Currently, three of these ships are deployed.
As of late March, two of these ships were undergoing maintenance in Singapore. The U.S. minesweeping capabilities in the Middle East included unmanned underwater vehicles, four Avenger-class ships, helicopters, and divers, according to a senior official.
It is believed that Tehran has several types of maritime mines, including bottom mines that rest on the seabed and detonate when ships pass over, tethered mines that float closer to the surface, drifting mines that move freely in water, and limpet mines that attach directly to a ship’s hull.
During the U.S. operation, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles with sensors will search for mines. When a suspicious object is detected, the data is sent to crews outside the minefield who will identify the device and decide how to neutralize it.
The Navy's search capabilities now include sonar-equipped unmanned vehicles and helicopters for spotting mines near the surface, former naval officers indicate.
To eliminate mines, the Navy can use systems like the Archerfish, a remotely operated device about 2 meters long that carries an explosive charge and sends video back to operators through a cable, according to its manufacturer, BAE Systems. Designed to be disposable, it costs tens of thousands of dollars.
The U.S. might also deploy unmanned boats that tow mine-sweeping devices to trigger detonations or collect mines, as noted by Bryan Clark, a retired naval officer and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. Additionally, human divers may also be used for intelligence gathering, experts say.
SLOW PROCESS
Clearing the strait could take two to three weeks, according to Clark, and Iranian attacks on mine-clearing crews could complicate and lengthen the process. As a result, the U.S. military might need to deploy defensive measures like ships and drones to protect crews and equipment.
“Finding and getting rid of mines takes a lot of time,” U.S. Admiral Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations, mentioned in March. He also pointed out that this makes mine-clearing operations “vulnerable.”
New technologies are being developed to speed up mine clearance, especially advancements in detection sensors, experts say.
French technology and defense company Thales has stated that its latest sonar can scan a suspected mine from three different angles in one go, which traditionally would require multiple passes.
Advancements in artificial intelligence are also helping to analyze more data on unmanned vessels.
In the long-term, the goal is to deploy groups of unmanned systems that can search for, identify, and destroy mines more efficiently, rather than going through a multi-step process.
“That technology isn't available today,” said Mark Bock, a retired Navy captain who is now vice president of business development at Thales' U.S. Navy sector. “However, it's what all nations are currently striving for.”