Type 352 ''Ensdorf'' class minesweepers are a class of five

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s of the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...

. They are Type 343 s that have been upgraded with the Troika Plus system of minesweeping drones

Design

The ''Ensdorf'' class have three modes to clear mine fields: * Troika Plus: This system employs up to four remote controlled ''Seehund'' ("

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

") drones which perform the sweep. The drones are small unmanned boats that can simulate the acoustic and magnetic signatures of bigger ships to trigger mines. Their small size and special construction let them survive the effects of exploding mines unharmed. * Mine hunting: Mines detected with the hull-mounted

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...

can be identified and exploded with expendable '' Seefuchs'' (Seafox) ROVs. * Classical minesweeping: Against moored mines the classical minesweeping using towed wire cutters to cut the anchors of mines can be conducted. The ''Ensdorf'' class replaced the Type 351 s in service with the

''Seehund''

The ''Seehund'' unmanned surface vehicles can be controlled remotely or manually by an onboard crew (usually three) for maneuvering in harbours or in training (the ''Seehund'' is too large to be carried by ''Ensdorf''-class vessels). A life raft is carried for this reason. ''Seehund''s are long with a displacement of 99 t. They are propelled by a Schottel

Z-drive A Z-drive is a type of marine propulsion unit. Specifically, it is an azimuth thruster. The pod can rotate 360 degrees allowing for rapid changes in thrust direction and thus vessel direction. This eliminates the need for a conventional rudder. ...

which gives them a maximum speed of .

Ship list

Notes: The ships were not decommissioned for their rebuilding to Type 352, so the listed dates are the ones of their commission as Type 343. ''Auerbach/Oberpfalz'' is one single name. The ships currently belong to the ''5. Minensuchgeschwader'' (5th Mine Sweeping Squadron) based in

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...

at the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

ROVs

The Seehunde ROVs were taken from the six decommissioned Type 351 class, which means that they are older than their motherships.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ensdorf Class Minesweeper Mine warfare vessel classes Minesweepers of the German Navy