| Publication |
2014.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Admiral Smith's point might be as valid today as it was sixty-four years ago. It refers to mines that he faced off the coast of Korea. Naval (or sea) mines are, by themselves or in combination with other weapons, a promising choice to parties pursuing antiaccess/area-denial objectives. The number of mines in the stocks of countries around the world and the ease of laying them mean that sea control is very likely to be lost again in future tension and conflict. This article is an attempt to describe the means, and to some extent the methods, under consideration to win it back if the need arises again. Mines pose a threat not only to military use of the sea but also to civilian shipping. The global economy depends on secure access to the global commons. With roughly 95 percent of world trade being shipped by sea, it is clear how much the economy depends on open trade routes and sea areas.1 Therefore, the capability to counter mine threats is needed to provide freedom of movement not only to one's own and friendly naval forces but to merchant shipping as well.
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