‘Mine clearance’: How the US Navy deals with underwater mine risks

Sea mines cost as little as $2,000 to produce but can instantly cripple a $2 billion guided-missile destroyer. To protect global trade routes, the US Navy operates dedicated Mine Countermeasures (MCM) squadrons equipped with the world's most advanced detection hardware.

The first line of defence comes from the sky via MH-60S Seahawk helicopters. These aircraft utilise the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), firing pulsed laser beams into the ocean to rapidly identify floating and near-surface contact mines.

To hunt deep-water threats, the military relies on Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) like the Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish. These autonomous, torpedo-shaped robots map the ocean floor using advanced side-scan sonar, detecting hidden explosive anomalies in murky waters.

Scanning massive operational areas generates overwhelming amounts of raw acoustic data. Navy analysts use artificial intelligence algorithms to instantly process this sonar imagery, rapidly distinguishing between harmless sunken debris and live, highly lethal explosives.

Once a drone pinpoints a target, operators deploy the SeaFox expendable neutraliser. This $100,000 fibre-optic guided robot swims directly to the enemy mine and detonates a shaped charge, safely destroying both itself and the underwater threat.

For heavy clearance operations, the Navy deploys specialised Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships. These unique vessels are constructed entirely from wood and fibreglass to completely avoid triggering highly sensitive magnetic and acoustic mines.

Historically, naval clearance required highly trained explosive ordnance disposal divers to manually disarm devices. By transitioning to robotic submarines and remote neutralisers, the US military entirely removes human sailors from the lethal blast radius.