Autonomous Mine Hunting: How the Royal Navy Is Leading the World in Uncrewed Maritime Mine Clearance

Overview

Sea mines are among the oldest and most effective naval weapons. They are cheap to deploy, devastatingly effective and extraordinarily difficult to clear. Traditional mine countermeasures require specialised ships and highly trained divers to operate in close proximity to explosive devices — a dangerous, slow and resource-intensive process. The Royal Navy’s Autonomous Mine Hunting programme has transformed this picture, replacing conventional ship-based mine clearance with autonomous systems that keep sailors out of the minefield entirely.

The programme employs an integrated suite of uncrewed surface vessels, autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles with advanced sensors and AI-enabled mission planning. Key platforms include the Atlas Elektronik UK ARCIMS uncrewed surface vessel, which acts as the command and control hub; the SWEEP mine countermeasures system; the SEACAT mine disposal system; the Thales MMCM system developed under a UK-France bilateral programme; and L3Harris Iver4 580 autonomous underwater vehicles delivered in January 2025. Together, these systems can detect, classify, identify and dispose of sea mines without putting sailors in the minefield.

The programme has been fully operational since Project Wilton was established in March 2020 and is deployed globally. It has proven its capabilities through extensive real-world operations, and the Royal Navy is recognised internationally as a leader in autonomous maritime mine countermeasures. Export success to Saudi Arabia, Belgium and other international customers validates both the technology and the operational concepts.

Strategic Purpose and Objectives

Keeping Sailors Out of the Minefield

The fundamental purpose of autonomous mine hunting is to remove sailors from danger. Traditional mine countermeasures require specialised ships to sail into mined waters and divers to approach explosive devices at close range. Autonomous systems conduct these missions without putting personnel at risk, while also providing faster, more persistent and more thorough coverage than traditional methods. The systems can operate in waters that are too dangerous, too shallow or too congested for conventional mine countermeasures vessels.

The programme supports the Royal Navy’s broader transformation toward autonomous maritime systems. The technologies and operational concepts developed for mine hunting inform wider uncrewed surface vessel development, multi-domain command and control and the integration of autonomous systems into naval operations. The Royal Navy is positioned at the cutting edge of autonomous maritime systems, with the mine hunting programme serving as both an operational capability and a proving ground for future autonomous naval operations.

International cooperation and export success are integral to the programme’s strategic value. The UK-France bilateral MMCM programme demonstrates the potential for allied cooperation on autonomous maritime systems, while export contracts — including the £1.7–2.0 billion MAST-13 contract to Saudi Arabia — validate the capability internationally and sustain the UK industrial base.

Budget and Financial Structure

Programme Value

Total UK autonomous mine hunting investment is estimated at £300–400 million or more over the programme lifecycle. Major investments include the MMCM UK-France programme through Thales at £184 million in UK investment in 2020, the SWEEP Systems contract through Atlas Elektronik at £25 million in 2020, Project Wilton operations and equipment, and L3Harris Iver4 580 AUVs delivered in January 2025. Additional ARCIMS platforms and support contracts, through-life sustainment, technology insertion and capability upgrade funding are ongoing. Export revenue to Saudi Arabia, Belgium and other customers offsets UK development costs.

Budget Division and Holder

The Royal Navy is the primary operating command and capability sponsor. DE&S manages contract administration and acquisition oversight. Mine Warfare and Diving Command manages operational employment. Strategic Command coordinates joint force requirements. The Royal Navy holds operational capability authority, with DE&S managing procurement contracts with Atlas Elektronik UK for ARCIMS, SWEEP and SEACAT, Thales UK for MMCM, L3Harris for Iver4 AUVs, and supporting contractors. UK-France bilateral agreements govern the MMCM programme.

Procurement and Acquisition

Acquisition Pipeline

The programme is fully operational with multiple platforms deployed globally. Mature capabilities have been proven through extensive real-world operations since 2020. Continuous improvement is delivered through technology insertion and spiral development. Key milestones include the establishment of Project Wilton in March 2020, ARCIMS becoming operational, the MMCM and SWEEP contracts in 2020, and Iver4 AUV delivery in January 2025.

Tender Information

Multiple contracts are in place across the programme: Atlas Elektronik UK for ARCIMS, SWEEP and SEACAT; Thales UK for the MMCM UK-France joint programme; and L3Harris for Iver4 580 AUVs. Export contracts to Saudi Arabia, valued at £1.7–2.0 billion for the MAST-13 programme, Belgium and other international customers demonstrate the programme’s commercial success. Contract details are available through the MOD Defence Sourcing Portal, DE&S records and UK-France bilateral programme documentation.

Why It Matters

Autonomous mine hunting is one of the Royal Navy’s most significant capability transformations in recent decades. It has taken one of the most dangerous tasks in naval warfare — clearing minefields — and made it dramatically safer, faster and more effective by removing sailors from the threat. The programme is fully operational, deployed globally and proven in real-world operations, making the Royal Navy a world leader in autonomous maritime mine countermeasures.

The programme’s significance extends beyond mine hunting. The technologies, operational concepts and industrial partnerships developed for autonomous mine countermeasures are directly applicable to wider naval autonomous systems: uncrewed surface vessels for surveillance and force protection, autonomous underwater vehicles for hydrographic survey and seabed warfare, and the command and control architectures needed to manage autonomous fleets alongside crewed vessels. In this sense, the mine hunting programme is a pathfinder for the Royal Navy’s autonomous future.

For industry, autonomous mine hunting represents a substantial and growing market. The programme’s multi-contractor model — with Atlas Elektronik UK, Thales UK, L3Harris and others all playing significant roles — creates a broad supplier ecosystem. Opportunities span autonomous surface vessels, autonomous underwater vehicles, mine detection sensors, AI-enabled mission planning, remote explosive ordnance disposal, command and control systems, through-life support and international export. The Saudi MAST-13 contract alone demonstrates the scale of the export market, and further international sales are anticipated as other navies seek to replicate the Royal Navy’s autonomous mine hunting capability.

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