Yes! Great post everyone should read!
This is how the Navy does mine hunting now. Program fully procured we have 16 teams and unknown submarine based teams. The MK18 is the surface launch version the MK19 is the dry dock version for Virginia and SSGNs and the MK20 is the torpedo tube version for all other subs. The Navy got this.
Like I said mines were cleared from below for the Burkes bank on that, the question is was it from shore as the MK18s can be beach launched or pier launched or did we sneak some Virginia class or a SSGN under the straight and using UDT divers and MK19s clear the path. OPSEC means we won’t know till well after the war but it’s clear you do not send over a billion dollars in hardware through a uncleared mine field at full speed with AIS broadcasting for all the world to see. The last part was why it was a political message with AIS the whole world shipping community just saw the paths of those ships across contested waters.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/02/us-navy-and-hii-complete-production-of-mk-18-mod-2-uuv/