Underwater drones at “Nusret 2026”: Belgian Navy trains mine hunting in Türkiye

Autonomous underwater drones for mine detection were at the centre of the training that Belgian naval units completed during the multinational exercise “Nusret 2026” in Türkiye. The focus was on cooperation with international partners and on countering naval mines in particularly shallow water.

From 6 to 16 October, the exercise took place in the area around Urla on Türkiye’s Aegean coast, where naval units from several nations trained. Belgium deployed its Very Shallow Water team (VSW), which specialises in very shallow waters.

One of the systems used was Remus: this autonomous underwater drone scans the seabed for suspicious objects with sonar sensors. Possible mines can thus be located without divers having to put themselves directly in danger.

Conclusively identifying an object and rendering it safe, however, remains the task of specialised explosive ordnance disposal teams. Divers are needed, for example, to examine suspicious finds more closely or to move mines before detonation so that surrounding infrastructure remains undamaged.

Underwater drones and exchanges between partner navies

Turkish specialists demonstrated their procedures for neutralising mines, while the Belgian side contributed its experience with the Remus drone. Representatives of the navies of Malaysia, Kuwait and South Korea also used the exercise to exchange experience.

States whose sea lanes are of strategic importance in particular attach growing significance to unmanned mine countermeasures. A representative of the Malaysian Navy, for instance, recalled the lessons of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and stressed the role such capabilities play for the Strait of Malacca.

Besides the actual mine search, the programme also covered the deployment of the equipment, logistic support and the coordination of multinational operating procedures.

The key lesson: autonomous underwater drones can significantly reduce the risk to mine clearance divers. For mine countermeasures to succeed, however, trained specialists, well-practised procedures and cooperation between the navies involved remain essential.