Advancing the Royal Navy's mine-hunting capability

Dstl collaborated with industry and Defence partners to design and implement a rigorous and innovative test of the UK's underwater mine countermeasures.

In November 2025 Dstl analysts supported Naval Design Partnering (NDP) and colleagues in the Ministry of Defence’s National Armaments Director Group delivering an innovative exercise for the UK’s Mine Hunting Capability (MHC).

With just 2 weeks’ notice, Dstl mobilised its expertise to deliver a critical contribution to a high-profile naval table-top exercise. Working collaboratively with NDP, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), and Royal Navy stakeholders, Dstl designed and implemented realistic mine countermeasure scenarios and inputs, enabling Royal Navy subject matter experts to rigorously test operational concepts under realistic conditions.

Underwater mines are a low-cost, high-impact threat that can block sea lanes, disrupt trade, and endanger lives. The UK depends on secure maritime access for economic security and NATO obligations.

Mine hunting ensures freedom of manoeuvre for military and commercial vessels. As mines grow more sophisticated, autonomous systems and advanced modelling are vital to stay ahead.

Actionable insights for future capability

Dstl analysts provided specialist guidance to create realistic, operationally relevant vignettes and real-time advice throughout the 2-day table-top exercise.

Analysts generated evidence-based insights into mine hunting capability performance in real-world environments.

Crucially, findings identified a key design change required for the adoption and optimisation of an offshore support vessel (OSV) design from Norway – helping ensure the UK’s future mine hunting mother ship delivers an enhanced UK mine-hunting capability.