The team responsible for introducing autonomous minehunting into front-line operations in the Gulf has successfully completed its first 12 months.
The Mine and Threat Exploitation Group’s Operational Evaluation Unit has spent the past year in the Middle East testing a series of uncrewed and remote-piloted systems which will one day be the future of minehunting in the Royal Navy.
“Working with Royal Navy Motor Boat Harrier and based on RFA Cardigan Bay, the team have put various pieces of equipment and technology through their paces to see how they operate and react to the climate of the Gulf and the complex missions current minehunting units carry out.
Harrier is capable of operating both autonomously (pre-programmed to conduct a mission) or remotely from a ship or shore-based remote-control centre. She tows a side-scan sonar behind her to look for mines on the seabed, alerting units ashore or at sea of their whereabouts.
As part of the trials she has also been working with remotely-operated underwater vehicles and a minesweeping system. In a fruitful first year for the Operational Evaluation Unit, the team has integrated and deployed Harrier from Cardigan Bay, a shore control base at the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain and Sandown and Hunt-class minehunters.”
Pity there is no mention in Navy News in regards to how many suspicious objects/ mines were detected and then if applicable disabled/ destroyed.
However, did endorse it was 30mm that worked in conjunction with Viper on HMS Diamond. We’re used to seeing these guns training ratings in killer tomato settings, but under EO control they are pretty much the same weapons army use to great effect shredding boats, helicopters – and the occasional tank at close quarters.
I spy with my little eye…. a Person on board !!!!😁
It’s a Houthi boarding team member working out the best way to get it to Iran. We need some armed Figure/Optimus/Atlas robots on these things with Asimov’s laws somewhat modified to suit.
😆
There have been various autominous vessels ‘Stolen’ by certain countries whilst on operations these countries claim that as a’ Lookout’ was not seen on board , by maritime law they had the right too confiscate them
Just goes to show how useless mine sweepers now are, plastic hull boats costing hundreds of millions with little room onboard for off board systems.
Hopefully we get three more OSV vessels to join RFA Stirling Castile in providing this capability and perhaps we can finally get our Bay class back from the gulf.
Wow…. You’ve excelled yourself with that Latest load of crap mate …… Stirling Castle has spent more time in various ports than actually getting out there and doing stuff…. She will never be anywhere other than on trials near Devonport, Portsmouth, Rosyth or the Clyde….. Slagging off the Hunts and Sandowns is a rather sad thing to be doing given there long history of success and fame ….. Tell us all just how these 3 autonomous systems are so much better than the “Useless mine sweepers” have been over the last few decades ????
Can’t speak for Jim but I think most people would say that over the decades the mine sweepers have done a brilliant and essential job. However now, it would appear, this can be done autonomously and those currently deployed on mine sweepers could be re-deployed to other ships where they are desperately needed.
It’s an essential job however if the hunts and Sandowns ever had to do the job in combat conditions they woukd likely have been slaughtered. These vesells were also immensely expensive costing more than a ASW frigate back in the day. The cost was largely due to their plastic construction however mines have had numerous triggers beyond contact and magnetic since the 1940’s. A lot of money went on these ships back in the day that could I have gone else where. Off board systems were available when these ships were developed. In part it’s a but like why the… Read more »
RN MCMVs where in GW1 and 2 right at the front. Remote shallow water systems were also developed and used where a MCMV couldn’t get to because of water depth. It used an army workboat with towed noise and magnetic sources. MCMVs… Expensive yes but that was per foot of construction, so somewhat different from an ASW frigate by a long way. Mines do have various triggers. Acoustic and Magnetic being the most common. The other ones could be things like silhouette, pressure etc. Hunts originally swept using mechanical (wire Cutters) Acoustic (TAG) and Influence (Pulsing) so because they were… Read more »
Manpower still needed to get them about and serviced and in some cases takes more manpower than on a manned vessel doing the job. Its more about keeping our people out of harms way and getting the job done.
It’s interesting how you only ever seem to hurle insults but never actually come up with any reason why I’m wrong or seem to have any knowledge or insight on defence matters, why do you bother commenting at all if that the sum total of your contribution to the community. I explain so you might actually learn something They are useless because we hunt mines using autonomous systems now, we have to use autonomous systems because modern mines are so dangerous you cant take a boat anywhere near them. There basically self firing torpedos than can dwell on the sea… Read more »
I gave you the facts in my reply, if you choose to ignore them and act like a Karen, that’s up to you.
You’re both right and you were arguing about different things. Yes, the minesweepers have done great work in their service lives but in future they will be inadequate against the new generation of smarter mines.
It’s more about how Jim words things…. I also know that the world of mine hunting is changing but I seriously doubt these new, yet to be ordered motherships can be in all the places our “Useless” hunters have been especially given the intended operational areas they will be covering ie UK Ports mostly…. We have the grand total of 3 Ten Ton Boats and one Mothership with various other “Cutting Edge” equipment ATM.
Hunts are still around mate. 😉 It’s the Sandowns going first at pace.
Yes, I don’t believe Stirling Castle will ever deploy as she was bought, I think, for Wilton, that is the first group of RNMBs that cover Faslane and the CASD primarily. The expansion will come in phase 2 of the program, with the French, if we ever actually get on and order it!
Hi mate. For me Jim’s comment wasn’t far off but just a reword from “how useless the Minesweepers now are” to “vulnerable the Minesweepers now are” totally changes the context. Also he said “now are” not “how useless they were” so I didn’t read it as him slagging off the MCMVs myself. He’s right that 3 extra mothers are badly needed, and he’s right about the Bay. My questions: How vulnerable are the RNMBs and other autonomous stuff to counter measures, jamming? There are, for me, pros and cons with this capability and until the entire scope of the project… Read more »
Edit, bloody rebranding, JATEU is now JADTEU.
That Bay is desperately needed for amphibious operations and a dozen other things and if we had moved earlier away from very expensive, very small very badly armed MCM’s then it would not be needed down there. Jamming is certainly going to be an issue but it’s already an issue as the current MCM are also using off board drone systems. The surface vehicles are autonomous rather than remote controlled so that will add to resilience. Given the simplicity of RFA stirling castle I don’t see any reason why it won’t be used operationally if required, it’s just an offshore… Read more »
Cool…. thanks. All hail Jim. Top bloke…..
I suppose that the Hunts/Sandown provided a junior command role as well
And presence. One of the cons with this.
Indeed, mind you have I have British Warships & Auxiliaries books from the 1980’s be-moaning the same things with cuts to the RFA and Royal Navy.
So do I Simon! Sobering isn’t it.
Yep. Most MCMVs do more Maritime Security Patrol jobs than MCMV work. Using them for MSP is expensive.
Again straight to the insults no logical argument as to why I’m wrong. Mis quoting me to try and point score is just pathetic, never mentioned anything about The Hunts or Sandowns History, they have become useless over time much the same way battleships became useless over time. They are now well past their sell by date. Stating that RFA Stirling Castle will never be anywhere but on trials is not a rational argument , it’s just a statement of opinion you don’t give any facts or rationale for having such an opinion. I don’t see any point in engaging… Read more »
What insults though…. you write stuff, i answer, i can’t help what you write just like I can’t help replying to such ridiculous comments, sorry if you take it as Insults rather than see the answers in a different way…. as for preaching to me about how I should act on here…Leave it out, I’ll “act” just how I want thanks… just who do you think you are ? Facts, Stirling Castle has been purchased to conduct Trials only. Don’t take answers you don’t like as Insults and don’t write anything if you don’t want a reply… It’s not Trolling… Read more »
Past the sell by date? You do know that the upgrades they received mean they are, internal systems wise, a new vessel in much the same way th at a T23 is now, systems wise, completely different from its original build. Sandown’s and Hunts are still route surveying. Still finding objects investigating and destroying them when needed. They use remote system sensors, REMUS being a good example. No, they cannot operate/launch a Workboat (It was looked at) because of Stability issues so a remote system needs to operate from land or on a Mothership be it Military or Stuft. That… Read more »
This months “European Defence Review magazine online” (free to read)
Has a most comprehension chapter on the above subject: Titled:
COUNTERING MINES AT SEA: AN OVERVIEW OF MAIN EUROPEAN PROGRAMMES
With subchapters on the paths the following are going down:
Belgium/Holland
French/Uk
(from what I can gather( The additional Uk project)
Italy
Germany/Baltics/Poland/Sweden
Norway/Denmark
Portugal
Well worth a butchers if you have the time, interesting final article regards the state of play regards Anti-UAV (in respect to ships) systems
Do a search on:
EDR Magazine #74 March / April 2024
to gravitate towards the link for the mag