Royal Navy fits ship with advanced minehunting drones ahead of possible Hormuz deployment

The Royal Navy is preparing to equip one of its landing ships with advanced minesweeping drones as ministers explore options to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. RFA Lyme Bay is slated for a refurbishment that will integrate high-tech equipment and transform it into a “mother ship” capable of deploying both underwater drones and uncrewed mine hunting boats.

This upgrade is understood to be central to the Navy’s strategy to utilize autonomous minehunters to clear the critical Strait of Hormuz, should such an operation become necessary. The UK is currently collaborating with international allies to develop military plans to restore access through the strait, a vital shipping artery for global oil and gas supplies that has been effectively blockaded by Tehran.

Donald Trump has previously called on his allies to send warships to the region to help reopen the strait, but Western countries have so far refrained from doing so. Given that the current threat posed by Iran’s drones and missiles is so serious, any potential deployment of RFA Lyme Bay to the strait is not anticipated until the volatile situation stabilizes.

A defense source said: “While no decision has yet been made on whether these capabilities will be deployed to the Strait of Hormuz, this pre-emptive step provides ministers with options to help maintain the normal flow of commercial shipping should the need arise.”

Part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship, RFA Lyme Bay is primarily a landing and transport ship and has previously been used to provide humanitarian assistance in the Caribbean and Middle East.

The ship was undergoing routine maintenance in Gibraltar, but was placed on high readiness following the outbreak of the Iran war and has been conducting training exercises in the Mediterranean in recent days.

It is understood that the decision to equip the ship with anti-mine equipment was taken after reassessing the risk that civilians might have to be evacuated from Lebanon following a land invasion by Israeli forces.

This also follows the arrival of the destroyer HMS Dragon in the Eastern Mediterranean to help defend Cyprus against possible missile and drone attacks.

Until early 2026 the Royal Navy had a permanent minehunting presence in the Middle East, based in Bahrain.

However, the last of these ships, HMS Middleton, was withdrawn from the area for maintenance shortly before the start of the war.

First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said the conversion of RFA Lyme Bay into a mine hunting “mother ship” was “an excellent example of how we are building a hybrid navy – one where crewed ships and cutting-edge uncrewed systems work together seamlessly to keep our people safe and our seas safe”.

Captain Mark Colley, the ship’s commander, said: “I am proud of the work my ship’s company has done to prepare RFA Lyme Bay and I am ready to take this kit on board.

“We’ve been putting it through our paces as we’ve recently returned to high readiness, but I know we’re ready to support this autonomous crewless kit to play a significant role in its use.”