Core Viewpoint - The U.S. Navy's mine-clearing capabilities have been inadequate for decades, raising concerns as Iran reportedly laid approximately 10 mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. Navy's traditional mine-clearing ships are being retired and new unmanned systems are not ready to replace them [1][3]. Group 1 - The U.S. Navy has only four operational mine-clearing ships remaining, all of which are stationed at U.S. military bases in Japan. These "Avenger" class ships are made of wood and fiberglass to avoid triggering magnetic mines [1]. - Four old mine-clearing ships have entered retirement, and specialized mine-clearing helicopters are also being phased out [1]. - Analysts express that the U.S. Navy has historically neglected mine-clearing operations, which complicates the escort of oil tankers due to the limited number of specialized vessels available [3]. Group 2 - The U.S. military has begun to implement unmanned mine-clearing technology, including the "Counter-Mine Unmanned Surface Vehicle," which uses towed modules to generate sound and magnetic fields to trigger mines. Currently, the Navy has only nine of these unmanned vehicles [3]. - Some analysts caution that unmanned mine-clearing technology has not been tested in real combat situations, leaving its effectiveness uncertain [3].