The Royal Navy's recent trials of the REMUS 300 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) are a sign of its commitment to security and freedom of movement in the Middle East.

The Hunt-class mine countermeasure vessels HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Middleton are spearheading the advancement of autonomous underwater capabilities, the United Kingdom's Royal Navy said in a statement on July 23.

Both ships are members of the 2nd Mine Countermeasures Squadron, which has responsibility for mine warfare in the Arabian Gulf region and is based in Bahrain.

The ships demonstrated the successful deployment, recovery and data exploitation of the REMUS 300 across a variety of environmental conditions, significantly enhancing the Royal Navy's deep-water mine-hunting capabilities, the statement said.

The REMUS 300 is a small, two-person portable UUV rated to depths of 305 meters. It is mainly used for mine countermeasures, search and recovery, and rapid environmental assessment.

In terms of mine countermeasures, the REMUS 300M is capable of port and harbor clearance.

Using its side-scan sonar, the REMUS 300 surveys large areas autonomously, enabling operators to review data far from minefields to identify and classify mine-like objects.

Approximately 25 countries worldwide, including the United States, operate the system, which features an interchangeable series of sensors and various sizes, allowing for optimization across a range of underwater tasks.

Commitment to security

While navigating the central Arabian Gulf, HMS Chiddingfold conducted open water trials of the REMUS 300 in both deep and shallow waters.

This milestone demonstrates the Royal Navy's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to ensure maritime safety and operational superiority, and is just one sign of the UK's support for maritime security in the region.

The HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Middleton are part of Operation Kipion, which is the UK's long-standing maritime presence in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Under the command of UK Maritime Component Command in Bahrain, they work with allies and partners across the region, including under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) partnership.

The 46-nation maritime coalition, headquartered in Bahrain, works to counter illicit non-state actors and promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters.

CMF has five Combined Task Forces (CTFs): CTF 150 handles maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf, and CTF 151 is a counter-piracy effort. CTF 152 focuses on maritime security in Gulf waters, CTF 153 on Red Sea security and CTF 154 on training partner navies.