File photo of a SeaFox drone. (credit: DAVID HECKER/AFP/Getty Images)

THE PERSIAN GULF (CBSDC) – Hold your breath, drone lovers. Literally.

Amid concerns of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz during a potential crisis, the U.S. Navy is beginning to develop and release a set of underwater drones to find and destroy sea mines present in the Persian Gulf, according to U.S. officials.

Multiple news outlets reported Thursday that tensions concerning Iran’s nuclear program set in motion the reinforcement of U.S. military personnel and weaponry in the region, specifically in the form of the “SeaFox,” a four-foot, 88-pound unmanned, underwater surveillance vehicle that’s guided by a remote control.

In February, the Navy implemented dozens of SeaFox drones after an immediate request by Marine Gen. James Mattis, the head U.S. commander serving in the Middle East, according to media reports.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/07/12/navy-beginning-to-impleme...