Britain is co-leading planning with France for a Multinational Military Mission intended to give commercial shipping safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and has an autonomous mine countermeasures capability already working in the region, according to an answer given in Parliament.
Stuart Anderson, the Conservative member for South Shropshire, had asked how the United Kingdom is contributing to multinational maritime security task forces in the Red Sea and Gulf.
Louise Sandher-Jones, the Minister for the Armed Forces, said: “The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to maritime security in the Middle East and to supporting regional stability alongside our regional partners.
“The UK is supporting multinational maritime security efforts in the Red Sea and Gulf regions, working alongside international partners including US-led Combined Maritime Forces.
“The UK is also co-leading planning efforts with the French on the Multinational Military Mission that will support safe transit for commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. As part of this, the Royal Navy’s modernisation programme has delivered an autonomous mine countermeasures capability operating in the region, which continues to innovate at pace.”
The Royal Navy withdrew its last Sandown class minehunters from the Gulf and replaced crewed mine warfare vessels in the region with uncrewed systems operated from a support ship, drawing on the work done through the Maritime Mine Counter Measures programme developed jointly with France.
Imagine if we had kept those four minesweepers in the gulf, would have been a total waste of time. They would have all been obliterated in Bahrain.
Good test bed got the new kit.