Edited by Francesco Borgese, Italian Army Officer.
The current security’s structure in the Hormuz’s Strait uncovers a strategic paradox, where Western navies, after decades of exclusive focus on power projection assets such as aircraft carriers, AEGIS destroyers and nuclear-powered submarines, now find themselves in a position of worrying vulnerability to the fundamental component of the mine warfare. This discipline, which had long been neglected as it was generally considered marginal and politically unrewarding in industrial terms, has become the core of Iran's strategy to deny access to the region, centred on a model of asymmetric costs where the use of naval mines – which are simple, cheap and lethal – generates a disproportionate economic impact, fuelling uncertainty in energy markets and among marine insurers. The asymmetry that results is not merely quantitative, considering Iran's massive stockpile estimated at between two thousand and six thousand mines, which includes smart mines equipped with pressure, acoustic and magnetic sensor systems, but is above all of a technological and doctrinal nature, intensified following the definitive retirement of the US Avenger class in September 2025, which deprived the US Navy's platforms designed to operate in controlled magnetic signature environments. The forced transition towards alternative solutions, in particular Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), has highlighted structural issues that undermine operational effectiveness in high-intensity scenarios; in contrast to specialised units in wood or composite materials, the aluminium hulls of these ships impose operational limitations that keep them away from areas of direct threat.
The reliance on task forces comprising surface and underwater drones, despite representing the current cutting edge, suffers from systemic immaturity linked to calibration times and poor resilience in contexts of denied access, whilst simultaneously requiring constant protection of high-profile assets that end up consuming precious strategic resources. This capability deficit has transformed the tactical risk linked to mines into a political tool of the first order, capable of compromising the credibility of Western deterrence and triggering volatility in energy markets based on the mere perception of insecurity.
In this scenario, the integration of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) appears as an necessary but still partial corrective measure, considering that the Gulf's seabed – characterised by treacherous currents and water turbidity – requires a technological advancement in large-band sonar capable of precisely distinguishing between buried mines and natural objects.
To address this gap and restore a real capacity to protect freedom of navigation, a paradigm transition is required that goes beyond the concept of the minesweeper as an isolated platform, evolving towards ecosystems of integrated force in which autonomous assets operate in swarms interconnected by resilient communication networks. The adoption of a new doctrine that promotes mine warfare as a central pillar of power projection strategy, reducing dependence on civilian contractors and regenerating a dedicated professional culture, is therefore the only viable way to prevent the cost of a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz that would be prohibitive for the adversary and ensure, in the mid-term, the critical stability of global sea routes. Within the European defence framework, Italy plays a prominent role in the field of mine countermeasures, thanks to a technological and operational infrastructure centred on the Gaeta-class vessels. Although these vessels are the result of a long-standing project, they remain a key asset for the Italian Navy.
The programme of modernisation, to which they have been subjected, allowed them to extend their operational life and integrate them with next-generation systems, enabling them to operate in complex theatres such as the Strait of Hormuz, where sensor accuracy and neutralization capability on hostile seabed are essential requirements for ensuring the safety of maritime traffic.
Despite the validity of the Gaeta platform, the current challenge requires a doctrinal and industrial transition towards a new generation of minesweepers, an area in which the Italian industrial sector, led by companies such as Intermarine, is strongly committed. The peculiarity of the Italian context is based in the balance between the use of traditional assets, which offer high levels of reliability in terms of acoustic silence and controlled magnetic signatures, and the integration of autonomous underwater drones and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
Italy has been able to maintain an excellent operating culture, consolidated by its ongoing participation in NATO’s standing forces (such as SNMCMG2), which has enabled our crews to develop specialist expertise in clearance operations in confined waters. However, the potential projection of these forces into high-tension theatres, such as Hormuz, raises the issue of logistical sustainability: due to their structural characteristics and limited range, Gaeta-class vessels require a constant logistical support and rigorous multinational coordination in order to operate safely.
Essentially, Italy’s ability to respond to crises of this magnitude is not limited only by the number of available vessels, but is based on a multi-domain integration model, that sees minesweepers act as nodes in a broader network, where the advantages of broadband sonar and the precision of remote neutralisation systems provide an element of deterrence. The current national planning for potential support to the operations in the Strait reflects the acknowledgement that, in an A2/AD (Anti-Access/Area Denial) scenario, mine-hunting capability is no longer a secondary activity, but rather an essential strategic factor for safeguarding the freedom of navigation and global energy interests, which confirms Italy's role as a major player in maritime safety in the Mediterranean and beyond.
Translated by Ramona Orefice.
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