U.S. deploys sea drones in Persian Gulf to clear Iranian mines
U.S. Navy
Navy bought devices on urgent request.
The Navy is deploying miniature underwater drones to the Persian Gulf to help search and destroy sea mines as part of a military campaign aimed at stopping Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz in a crisis, the Los Angeles Times reported., citing U.S. officials.
The Navy in February bought dozens of the German-made device, known as the SeaFox, after an “urgent request” by Marine Gen. James Mattis, head of the U.S. Central Command, for more minesweeping capabilities in the region, according to the report. The company behind the SeaFox is Bremen-based Atlas Elektronik.
The unmanned submersibles, 88 pounds and 4 feet long, are equipped with a TV camera, sonar and explosive charge to self-destruct when it destroys a mine.
The device is controlled by a 3,000-foot fiber-optic cable. It operates at depths of up to 984 feet and travels at a speed of up to 6 knots, according to the article.