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From trials to ops – pioneering mine warfare team switch focus after 12 years developing new tech
4 November 2024
After a dozen years sailors at the forefront of harnessing underwater tech are moving from trials and testing to front-line operations.
Over its 12-year existence, the specialist unit has participated in a huge number of exercises, conducting trials worldwide with different equipment in a multitude of environments, all pushing the boundaries of autonomous and remotely-operated systems chiefly impacting mine warfare/diving/survey operations – many of which are either being used… or will be used.
Set up in 2012 originally under the title FUUVU (Fleet Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Unit) dedicated to exploiting burgeoning drone/autonomous technology, its role evolved into supporting the wider naval programme looking at the future of mine warfare and hydrographic/survey activity – and with it a new name, MASTT.
Driving the team throughout its trials and experimentation have been four goals: greater accuracy, greater effectiveness and greater speed – and, in the case of mine warfare, removing sailors from harm's way as much as possible.
MASTT personnel – drawn from mine warfare, hydrographic, engineering and logistic specialisations – have tested kit for use in the heat of the Gulf, cold Canadian waters, or alongside counterparts from France and the USA.
“My time at MASTT was a great opportunity to get my foot in the door with all things autonomy-related,” said mine warfare specialist Chief Petty Officer Sarah Tapp, who was assigned to the team as an able rating and is now chief of operations with X-Ray Squadron of the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group.
She relished the opportunity to experiment with equipment no-one else in the Navy was grappling.
“Autonomous mine warfare has progressed so much since 2014 and I feel privileged to have played a part in it alongside the team at that time,” Sarah added.
The team is particularly pleased with its efforts to help reintroduce influence minesweeping – safely triggering mines/explosive devices – to the Fleet after a 20-year gap, working with experts from Atlas, DE&S and government science labs Dstl.
And most recently MASTT has been at the forefront of trials resulting in the first Royal Navy vessel being authorised to operate without any humans aboard, RN Motorboat Apollo.
The final trials period in September involved integration trials with support vessel SD Northern River, successfully demonstrating how to use a ‘vessel of opportunity’ as a base/launchpad for operating autonomous systems, with a view to using ships such as RFA Proteus and Stirling Castle in the future.
Lieutenant Callum Burns, the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group’s Navigating Officer, said that thanks to MASTT’s hard work over the past dozen years the Royal Navy was better prepared for the future.
“The impact of the invaluable effort which has been exerted over the past 12 years by personnel of this small but impactful team cannot be overstated,” he said.
“The Royal Navy is better equipped to take delivery of the mine countermeasures systems in the coming years, and to face potential underwater threats in the world with confidence.”
With the White Ensign formally hauled down at the team’s home in Portsmouth Naval Base, the 21 MASTT personnel are now part of the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group, comprising more than 200 sailors, focused on dealing with the mines/improvised explosive devices of today and tomorrow.
“MASTT’s contributions to the Royal Navy’s Mine Countermeasures capability transition, as well as broader input to maritime autonomous system development, has been impressive,” said the group’s Commanding Officer Commander Daniel Herridge.
“Through the efforts of talented and passionate people, the Royal Navy has gained significant experience in autonomous systems.
“The success of MASTT has been solely down to the tenacity and drive of its personnel: ‘autonomous’ systems still – and will always – rely on skilled and dedicated people.”