What to do when international talks begin falling apart?
Send a fleet of unmanned submersibles in preparation for a waterway showdown.
As US talks with Iran over their nuclear program began to sour and the
possibility of sanctions against the country rose, Iran responded by
threatening to cut off the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway and the only way
into and out of the petroleum-rich Persian Gulf. The US responded in turn, the
LA Times reports, by sending dozens of SeaFox unmanned submersibles to the
region to seek out and destroy mines in the strait.
Each SeaFox is outfitted with an underwater television
camera, homing sonar, an explosive charge, and is controlled through an optic
fiber tether. None of the submersibles, however, return from a successful
mission as they end, not only with the destruction of the mine, but the craft
itself, each costing about $100,000. The SeaFox can sniff out both submerged
and surface mines.
The SeaFox is the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) made by
the German company Atlas Elektronik. It measures about 4 feet long and weighs
just under 100 pounds. Their small size enables them to be deployed from
helicopters, small rubber boats, or dropped from minesweeping ships. Its
maximum operational depth is about 300 meters and it can run for around 100
minutes without having to return and recharge.
The Navy purchased the mine-sniffing submersibles in May at
the request of Marine Gen. James Mattis, the top ranking US commander in the
Middle East. They represent a supplement to a larger military force buildup in
the region that includes four minesweeping ships, four MH-53 Sea Dragon
helicopters, and several aircraft carriers. Tensions and armament are both
swelling in the region, marked by a bill drafted by Iran’s National Security
and Foreign Policy Committee to halt the passage of tankers through the Strait
of Hormuz. “We take the control of the Hormuz Strait. If we are supposed to be
sanctioned, we will not allow a drop of oil to pass through the strait,” said
Arsalan Fathipour, Chairman of Iran’s parliament.
Of course, we’ve heard this talk before, but whether or not
the moves from both countries are, as some warn, the portents of a third World
War, or simply a political chess match played out in the Gulf, the water drones
are yet another indication that the era of robotic warfare has arrived.
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