Royal Navy tests smallest ships as launchpad for minehunting ops

The Royal Navy has used its smallest warships as a launchpad for autonomous minehunting operations for the first time.

Seven P2000 patrol vessels of the Coastal Forces Squadron deployed on NATO’s annual Baltic exercise – known as Baltops 24 – during which 50 ships, dozens of aircraft and 9,000 personnel from 20 nations operated together.

Two ships, HMS Puncher and Pursuer...