Military spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said the equipment known as SWIMS for Shallow Water Influence Mine Sweeping Systems was being used to locate and destroy Iraqi mines even though the system was still in its test phase.

"It uses mini-magnetic dyads which are towed behind combat support boats to blow up magnetic mines," Hannan told a media briefing.

"A mini-dyad is in fact a floating tube which contains high-powered, strontium ferrite magnets.

"When you string them together and add in some noisemakers that could easily represent the noise from propellers and engines on board major vessels, then the mini-dyads are able to fool the mine into thinking that it's a ship passing by, and of course detonate the mine," he said.

The equipment was acquired from Australian Defence Industries and formed the only known influence mine sweeping system that is self-powered and able to operate in shallow water, he said.

"The mini-dyads were acquired by the Royal Navy to undergo a 12-month testing period but they've been rushed into service to deal with the sophisticated Manta mines laid by the Iraqi forces in the Khawr Abd ôAllah waterway," Hannan said.

SPACE.WIRE