Navies have already turned to robots as a cheaper and safer alternative to crewed minesweepers. The US Navy, for example, has ...

Then there's the matter of crew size -- just 84 sailors. As of 2023, only eight of the 14 minesweepers are left in service.

A US Navy minesweeper has run aground in a protected marine sanctuary in the Philippines. The USS Guardian ran aground on the Tubattaha Reef on Wednesday night "during normal transit", it said.