How US Warships, Drones And Helicopters Will Clear Mines In Strait Of Hormuz

[rangerrebew]

How US Warships, Drones And Helicopters Will Clear Mines In Strait Of Hormuz
 
The United States has deployed two advanced warships to help counter growing threats in the Strait of Hormuz. The forces under US Central Command (CENTCOM) have begun preparing for a potential mine-clearing operation in the region.

The two Navy guided-missile destroyers, USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, carried out operations in the key global oil route. The mission is to find and remove sea mines that could have been placed in the water, reportedly linked to Iran. These mines can blow up ships, including oil tankers.
 

"The two ships transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)," said US military command.

How US Will Clear Mines In Strait Of Hormuz
Instead of sending ships directly into mined areas, the Navy uses robotic machines called unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), such as the Mk 18 and Mod 2 Kingfish. These torpedo-shaped drones move through the water on their own and use high-tech sonar to map the seabed and detect hidden explosives.

https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/how-us-warships-drones-and-helicopters-will-clear-mines-in-strait-of-hormuz/ar-AA20GOaU?ocid=BingNewsSerp

[PeteS in CA]

The two DDGs are probably there to protect the minesweeping activities, and maybe "persuade" Iranian fast boast to stay hidden. Besides their automated 5"/62 main gun and 20 mm CIWS, they each have two 25 mm auto-cannon and four .50 caliber machine guns, a pretty heavy dose of "Just don't".

[Smokin Joe]

The drones have the advantage of mapping the seabed. Iran's small Ghadir class submarines were designed to patrol the Straits of Hormuz, and the diesel electrics with a couple torpedoes and possibly missile launch capability are perfect for sitting on a complex seabed and ambush hunting.
Having a base map of the bathymetry might be able to be used to compare current bathymetry (during transit) with the base map to help locate those subs.
They are pretty small (~120 tons) and can sit more quietly than a nuclear powered sub (no cooling pumps for a reactor).
Iran started the war with 23 of them, believed to be now somewhere between 2 and 10 active subs left.