Autonomous mine warfare creates a command-training tradeoff

What does the Royal Navy's Madfox autonomous boat mean for mine countermeasures?

It sensibly moves people away from mines, but the Navy must replace the junior command opportunities lost with conventional minehunters.

Uncrewed mine-countermeasure craft offer a way to reduce exposure to an inherently dangerous task. Replacing conventional minehunters also removes small-ship commands used to develop junior officers. More offshore patrol vessels are suggested as one way to preserve those opportunities. Larger motherships would be needed to support craft such as Madfox, creating a separate force-design requirement.