The Royal Navy’s system will involve unmanned drone speedboats working from a mothership to tow sonar sensors that can find the mines. The Saab Multi-Shot Mine Neutralisation System (MuMNS) will then destroy them. However, the technology is understood to be still under trial.

As US President Donald Trump pressures American allies – and even China – to contribute naval forces to protect shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, naval experts say such an endeavor presents a huge risk that,

U.S. forces destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near Strait of Hormuz as oil traffic stalls through the critical shipping corridor amid rising tensions.

Four Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships stationed in Bahrain were decommissioned in 2025 after each serving for over 30 years.

The U.S. said this week that it attacked 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. In the 1980s, Iranian mines damaged oil tankers and a U.S. Navy warship.

U.S. destroys 16 Iranian naval vessels in Strait of Hormuz to prevent mine-laying, as conflict widens and oil prices surge toward $120.

Iran’s new supreme leader said the Strait of Hormuz should remain shut and Tehran will look to open other fronts in the war if the US and Israel persist with their attacks.

The US says it's "dealing with" the strait's closure which is driving up gas prices - but details are unclear. Read latest updates