The Royal Navy is preparing to fit one of its landing ships with advanced minesweeping drones, as ministers explore options to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. RFA Lyme Bay will undergo a refit to become a 'mothership' for underwater drones and crewless minehunting boats, central to the Navy's strategy for clearing the critical waterway if needed.
The UK is collaborating with international allies on military plans to re-establish access through the strait, a vital artery for global oil and gas supplies blockaded by Tehran. Donald Trump had urged allies to send warships, but Western nations have refrained, and any deployment of RFA Lyme Bay is not expected until the volatile situation stabilises, given the threat from Iranian drones and missiles.
A defence source said: 'Whilst no decisions have yet been taken on whether these capabilities will be sent to the Strait of Hormuz, this preventative step gives ministers options should they be needed to help resume the normal flow of merchant shipping.'
RFA Lyme Bay, part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, is primarily a landing and transport ship used for humanitarian aid. It was undergoing routine maintenance in Gibraltar but was brought to heightened readiness after the Iran war outbreak and has been training in the Mediterranean. The decision to equip it with anti-mine equipment followed a reassessment of risks to civilians in Lebanon after an Israeli ground invasion.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins called the conversion 'a perfect example of how we are building a hybrid navy – one where crewed ships and cutting-edge uncrewed systems work together seamlessly.' The ship's commanding officer, Captain Mark Colley, said: 'I am proud of the work my ship's company has done to prepare RFA Lyme Bay, and be ready to embark this kit.'
