New Airborne Magnetic Sensing System for High-Speed Naval Mine & Submarine Detection

UMag Solutions has officially introduced F1Mag, a high-speed airborne magnetic sensing system designed for the real-time detection of naval mines, submarines, and uncrewed underwater vehicles from the air.

Developed to address the subsea threats of modern warfare, F1Mag can be mounted on a variety of drone platforms and flown over areas of interest at speeds of up to 120 km/h. The system detects magnetic threats below the sea surface, including moored and bottom mines, submarines, and other metal objects, delivering data to operators in real time. The sensors are capable of scanning for naval mines at depths of 15 to 30 meters and can detect submarines at depths exceeding 500 meters.

Arne Døssing Andreasen, CEO and Co-Founder of UMag Solutions, comments, “We designed F1Mag for the subsea threats that define modern warfare. The need to detect those threats at high speed, with accurate real-time data and without putting people or equipment in the water, or having marine vessel nearby, has never been greater. UMag Solutions has already used F1Mag to track submarines and UUVs and to find naval mines in open sea.”

The launch comes at a critical time for global maritime security. In the Strait of Hormuz, where approximately 20 percent of global seaborne oil transits, recent mine-laying activity has created an urgent need for rapid clearance and verification. Similarly, NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission is currently monitoring subsea infrastructure following a series of cable and pipeline incidents, while drifting mines in the Black Sea continue to threaten civilian shipping near the Bosphorus.

Because the sensor operates from the air, the system is significantly less dependent on weather or sea conditions than conventional mine countermeasures. “Because it operates from the air, F1Mag is far less dependent on weather, sea state or vessel support. It is unaffected by sea ice, muddy waters or boundary layers in the water column,“ continues Arne Døssing Andreasen.

The operational efficiency of the system allows for wide-area screening that far outpaces traditional methods involving surface ships or divers. For naval mine detection, the system covers 30 to 70 hectares per hour. In anti-submarine warfare configurations, it can screen between 1,000 and 6,000 hectares per hour, making it suitable for monitoring chokepoints and approach lanes. The system is also capable of detecting vehicles and structures in land-based applications, such as dense forests.

The technology is drone-agnostic and integrates with high-end platforms currently in service, including the UMS Skeldar (V-200), High-Eye (Airboxer), Pterodynamics (Transwing), Acecore Technologies (NOA), Airolit (CX-10), Hecto Drone (HD-606), Freespace Operations (Callisto 25), Inspired Flight (IF1200), Velos Rotors (V3), and Harris Aerial (Carrier H6). “By making F1Mag drone-agnostic, we let defence customers use the platforms they already trust, and we shorten the path from procurement to operational capability,” Døssing Andreasen adds.

F1Mag is an extension of the technology used in the V2Mag system, which is already utilized by several European defense forces for land and coastal mapping. The new system is available now for operational deployment and will be featured at XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit and the NATO Naval Mine Warfare Conference 2026 in Ostend, Belgium.

UMag Solutions will be showcasing its technologies at XPONENTIAL USA 2026, Booth 14020.