Royal Navy shares mine-hunting tactics with US and French counterparts

The Royal Navy joined personnel from the French and American navies to take part in the fortnight-long Exercise Artemis Trident in the Gulf.

The three nations take part in the exercise every two years, and this year saw them test mine-hunting methods using their shared expertise.

Both Britain and the US maintain a permanent mine warfare presence in the Gulf – with minehunters, dive teams, and autonomous systems – while France's Marine Nationale regularly deploys to the region.

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The three allies formed a small task group comprising the UK support ship RFA Cardigan Bay and the US minehunter USS Devastator.

The French brought a team of mine clearance divers and their robot submersible Allister 9 – which scans the seabed looking for suspicious objects.

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy used the exercise to test Harrier, the small high-tech boat which is the future of the UK's autonomous mine-hunting capability.

The exercise allowed the nations to share technology, the experience of personnel, knowledge and tactics to detect, classify and clear mines effectively.

Captain Oscar Rojas, of the US Navy's Task Force 52, said: "This exercise truly enhanced our interoperability and operational effectiveness in mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal operations.

"Working together at sea is vital to security in the region."

The Anglo-French-American exercise was the last major act for the latest UK Mine Warfare Battle Staff to direct all Britain's mine forces in the Middle East.

The staff spend six months at a time in the region, choreographing operations – minehunters, dive teams and, more recently, crewless systems and autonomous vehicles – from RFA Cardigan Bay.

The six-month stint completed by the latest staff – Red Watch – has seen UK sailors and warships contributing to the international security mission which ensured the World Cup in Qatar passed without incident.