Minehunting is one of the most important but least glamorous tasks in the Navy. The commanding officer of the USS Bainbridge talks about a new way to do this vital job.
Consider how easy it would be for a hostile Third World nation with a little wherewithal to close down the Strait of Hormuz. Not only would the United States and our allied/coalition navies lose their freedom of maneuver, the entire world economy would suffer if the free flow of crude oil from the Persian Gulf stopped. A relatively small investment in boats, personnel, and mines is all it would take to impede this vital strategic choke point and hold maritime sway in that region. There is little argument that a mine is one of the most asymmetrical weapons ever introduced in warfare, and its availability through black market proliferation is ominous.
