Traversing the Strait of Hormuz remains a high-risk maritime journey where vessels face ongoing attacks from missiles and drones from the air, alongside seabed mines waiting below, according to Yahoo.
To safely navigate these waters, a captain must secure agreement from the crew to take the risk, obtain war risk insurance, and make the final decision, says Steve Cameron, a former merchant navy officer and maritime consultant.
To transit the Strait of Hormuz you need agreement between the captain and the crew to take the risk. You need war risk insurance. And the captain has to make the final decision,
Cameron states.
Modern mines rest on the seafloor to detect acoustic or magnetic signatures, which trigger a pressure wave strong enough to break a passing vessel’s keel. Other devices can float, rise through shallow waters, or be powered directly toward a target.
Naval architect Ian McFarlane of French defence group Thales points out that these weapons offer a very inexpensive method of naval warfare, noting that the Royal Navy is acutely aware of the threat.
Autonomous robot vessels replace human crews
Finding these underwater threats has traditionally required specialist mine-hunting ships carrying crews of about 80 sailors. To keep humans out of danger, authorities are increasingly turning to autonomous systems monitored directly from the shore.
These portable robot systems require only about 20 personnel working in shifts on land. Such technology has spent two decades in development, dating back to the 2003 Iraq war when the US Navy utilized a torpedo-shaped robot named the Remus 100.
Modern operations in the Gulf are currently testing much more capable systems. In early September, Iranian forces hauled an uncrewed US autonomous submarine out of the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon claimed that this robot, an Extra Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle built by US autonomous defence tech venture Anduril, was simply a malfunctioning older device carrying no classified equipment.
William Lupton, a naval analyst with Shephard Group, notes that losing an uncrewed system rather than risking human lives is preferable.
was a drop in the ocean compared to having prisoners taken,
Lupton says regarding the seizure.
Sensors and AI scan the seabed
Forces worldwide are embracing autonomous technology, including a robot motor launch produced through cooperation between Thales, the Royal Navy, and France’s Marine Nationale.
The Thales Uncrewed Surface Vehicle carries sensors designed to detect mines using sonar originally developed for the oil and gas industries. The vehicle tows a 5-meter-long rectangular box resembling a large torpedo that captures high-resolution seabed imagery.
Artificial intelligence then refines this 3D picture to spot modern mines designed to blend into their surroundings. These autonomous systems cost less than conventional minehunters and can be deployed alongside containerised control centres via air transport.
Steve Prest, an associate fellow at the RUSI defence think tank who introduced uncrewed mine hunting into the Royal Navy, explains the operational goal of these assets.
There is a bunch of ways to look for a mine using robot boats or robot subs, and while you can’t prove the negative, that no mines are there, you can reduce the risk,
Prest observes.
US robot minehunters can either destroy a mine or mark its exact location to avoid. Prest adds that mission capabilities will continue to expand alongside real-time data analysis powered by artificial intelligence.
Managing the psychological impact
The psychological toll of the mine threat affects marine insurers at Lloyd's of London, according to Neil Roberts.
Roberts highlights the persistent uncertainty surrounding how many mines may be deployed in the region. Meanwhile, the US reports that it has cleared the Omani route and believes the overall mine threat is being managed, with shipping levels reaching approximately 75% of pre-conflict volume.
