7.1.2026

It only takes a few seconds. The smart mine detects that instant, seemingly imperceptible, shift in magnetic, acoustic, seismic and pressure signature, and chaos ensues. It does not have to cause significant damage to create disruption; in fact, it does not have to create damage at all.

The mere knowledge that smart mines lay on the seabed, capable of detecting, identifying and targeting specific vessels, is enough to deter passage and wreak havoc – be it for military or commercial vessels traffic.

Minesweeping, as opposed to mine hunting, is the only viable option against influence mines silently waiting in shallow waters. And minesweeping with advanced acoustic capabilities is critical for tackling the continuous development and spread of smart mines. That is why Patria built on decades of experience in developing both smart mines and acoustic minesweeping systems to offer its customers the SONAC ACS. Featuring an extremely high-power sound source technology, this advanced acoustic minesweeping system detonates smart mines to deliver peace of mind.

Patria SONAC ACS uses advanced acoustics to neutralize smart naval mines and protect sea traffic.

Rocky road

Like many underwater warfare tactics, mine warfare was quickly forgotten in the aftermath of the Cold War. Lulled into a false sense of security, Western navies focused on removing old mines and shifted their main focus on other missions. And, like many underwater warfare tactics, mine warfare is making a strong comeback in naval strategy books, at industry level and in Research & Development (R&D) departments.

Patria SONAC ACS

Perhaps more worrying still than the resurgence of this type of weapons. Today, industry leaders in the mine warfare domain are leveraging complex algorithms that can simultaneously process magnetic, acoustic, seismic and pressure signatures to identify their targets and trigger the explosion.

As such, in shallow water areas, where the seabed can be rocky and where water conditions can adversely affect visibility, smart mines are particularly disruptive. Pre-programmed to target certain types of military or commercial vessels, they can render entire port areas inhospitable or whole Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) inoperable.

The sound of music

In complex environments such as shallow waters, minesweeping is the most appropriate solution for tackling smart influence mines. Using a combination of magnetic, electric and acoustic source systems towed by a small surface vessel, minesweeping is a system of systems that reproduces the signature of potential target vessels.

Acoustic sweeping is crucial for countering smart mines in shallow waters.

Acoustic sweeping systems are an important part of the whole integrated mine sweeping system because, acoustic signals travel very far in the water while magnetic and electric signals tend to decay quite fast in the same environment.

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