{"id":11717,"date":"2019-03-19T20:31:40","date_gmt":"2019-03-19T20:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/19\/why-a-british-ship-will-hunt-mines-off-the-virginia-coast\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:53:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:53:21","slug":"why-a-british-ship-will-hunt-mines-off-the-virginia-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/03\/19\/why-a-british-ship-will-hunt-mines-off-the-virginia-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a British ship will hunt mines off the Virginia coast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NORFOLK \u2014 A British amphibious warship embarked with U.S. Navy sailors is slated to operate out of this Virginia port for what officials term a two-week \u201cexperiment\u201d to test new mine warfare techniques. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay<\/a> pulled into port on March 17 after sailing from the United Kingdom, a journey that included a pit stop in Aruba, according to British officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To American sailors, it looks like a landing ship dock. But in the Royal Navy, those sorts of vessels are controlled by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which is similar to U.S. Military Sealift Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe U.S. Navy and Royal Navy have an enduring partnership, and mine countermeasures capabilities and technology are shared items of interest,\u201d said Lt. Kristi Johnson, spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy\u2019s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To her, the experiment \u201crefines and advances the Navy explosive ordnance disposal community\u2019s ability\u201d to control a mine countermeasures task group.<\/p>\n\n\n\t