For centuries, mariners have feared what lurks beneath the waves and has shaped nautical folklore. Today, those threats have moved away from mythological threats such as the Kraken to actual threats such as mines.
The conflict in West Asia may have started over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but its effects are seen are seen on the global economy as Iran’s chokehold on the narrow Strait of Hormuz is strangulating global energy flows.The laying of naval mines of this passage by the Iranians has increased the stakes for merchant ships passing through the Straits of Hormuz. Even if these vessels are escorted through the contested waterbody, the spectre of naval mines is still a real one.
The escorts can defend the convoy against missile, drones, surface threats and submarines. The escorts themselves are susceptible to mines. In 1988, during the tanker war in the Persian Gulf, American frigate USS Samuel B.
Roberts hit an Iranian mine while escorting merchant ships.As 95% of India’s exports move by sea the country has been investing Rs 6.06 lakh crore in its maritime infrastructure under Project Sagarmala.
In case of a conflict, an adversary could attempt to blockade or mine Indian ports.A naval mine is an explosive device that can be deployed by surface vessels, submarines and airplanes. A naval mine can be of the floating variety or a moored mine (chained to a support and sits beneath the surface). Most naval mines can be triggered by the change in magnetic field around as a large metallic ship comes near it. Other types of activation mechanisms are triggered by the sound of a vessel or by the negative pressure wave created by a ship.
The Indian Navy, has since 2019 not possessed a mine-counter measure vessel since the decommissioning INS Kozhikode (M71), the last of the twelve Pondicherry-class minesweeper. This class of minesweepers is a modified version of the Soviet Natya-class and were acquired from 1977 to 1988.
What are mine sweepers
Mine countermeasures vessels are a special type of naval ships that are specifically designed to operate in mined areas. These vessels are made of fiberglass or non-ferrous metals so as to not set-off magnetic mines.
These vessels also undergo a level of soundproofing so as to not set off acoustic mines.
Many attempts to procure mine sweepers
The Indian Navy has been planning to procure Mine Counter-Measure Vessels (MCMVs) since 2004, according to SP’s Naval Forces. The navy has made attempts in 2015 an 2018 to find a replacement for the Pondicherry-class minesweepers, but without success.In 2025 the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the procurement of a dozen MCMVs for a cost of Rs 44,000 crore. The Indian Navy has a requirement of 24 such platforms.As per its current requirements, the navy wants its next generation of MCMVs to have the ability to operate different types of autonomous vehicles of different types.The US Navy too will be using unmanned systems to demine the Strait of Hormuz. The US Navy’s Littoral Combat Vessels use the knifefish underwater unmanned system to detect naval mines.The Indian Navy currently uses ‘clip-on mine counter-measure suites’ to conduct these critical missions. As India looks to the sea and the lands beyond the sea for prosperity, its ports and critical sea lanes can be blocked by mines. The nation does not have a proper response mechanism to take on this threat. The process to acquire this important capability will take many years for these vessels to start trickling in to service and many more years for the navy to acquire the required capability.
This at a time when the world including India’s adversaries are feeling the power of the humble mine.
