Elite team of Royal Navy divers on standby to deploy to the Strait of Hormuz to help defuse Iranian mines blocking shipping lanes
An elite team of Royal Navy divers is poised to deploy to the Strait of Hormuz to help neutralize Iranian mines blocking shipping lanes.
Divers are members of the Diving and Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG) and have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Armed Forces.
One of their jobs is to clear potentially booby-trapped mines and IEDs under deep water, often using only a flashlight.
Highly trained divers can deploy to the region by boat, parachute or mini submarines. Submarines can carry six divers and have a range of 30 miles.
They also use a docking system attached to the Royal Navy Astute submarine.
Divers work closely with the Special Boat Service and are trained in counter-terrorism operations.
Divers have been on standby since the conflict began five weeks ago. Iran is believed to have placed up to a dozen mines in the strait.
Hundreds of ships are effectively stranded in the region through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil passes.
An elite team of Royal Navy divers stand by to deploy to the Strait of Hormuz to help neutralize Iranian mines blocking shipping lanes (file photo)
The divers are members of the Diving and Threat Exploitation Group (DTXG) and have one of the most dangerous jobs in the Armed Forces (file photo)
DT members also worked with Ukraine and the United States to help keep the Black Sea safe.
Iran has approximately 5,000 mines filled with up to 260lb of high explosive, all capable of destroying passing ships.
While some of the sea mines are detonated by contact, some are detonated when a ship passes close by after detecting a magnetic or acoustic signal.
Most mines are anchored to the seafloor by long cables and will float to just below the surface when activated.
Iran also has rocket mines that are anchored to the seabed but will fire an explosive warhead at a passing ship.
Some of Iranian mines can be equipped with delayed activation; This means they cannot become operational for up to 30 days after being placed on the seabed.
US President Donald Trump threatened to ‘withdraw’ from the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Trump said countries that get their oil from the Gulf region should take responsibility for the waterway, adding: ‘This isn’t going to be for us… it’s going to be for everyone who uses this strait.’
A source from the Royal Navy said: ‘It is not known at this stage whether Iran has opened mines in the strait, but we need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
‘Mine clearing is one of DT’s primary roles so it will be used if necessary.’
