Naval mines in an East and South East Asian military conflict

I want to create a discussion on the use of naval mines in a possible conflict in East and South East Asian waters. A use of these weapons would in my opinion have especially heavy repercussions for South Korean, PR Chinese and RoC Taiwan sea lines of communication (SLoC, the routes naval vessels can travel) and economy almost irrespective of their navy size and capability. Thus naval mine warfare in my opinion represents an underestimated military equalizer with great destructive potential in the smouldering conflicts of this region. I consider the ability to deploy them paramount as a defense against any quick changes to the status quo.

Naval mines today have often multiple sensors for triggering detonation. They include anti-helicopter missiles and torpedoes (they can include for example supercavitating torpedoes). Some mines are old torpedoes that can be used to deposit a naval mine directly in an enemy harbour with a long stand-off range.
Deposing of mines is more expensive in terms of equipment and time than producing and placing them, estimates take a relation of 1:10 to 1:20.
As such they are the essence of asymmetric warfare at sea and the PLAN has retained their mine warfare capability intact through turbulances such as the Cultural Revolution. China is possibly even the place of origin of naval mine warfare or at least one of the earliest and best adepts.
An important change in naval mine warfare are the use of more complex sensors, targeting and the ability of mines to move towards a target, even aerial targets. This greatly reduces the mass of ammunition required for effective mining and in turn greatly increases the efficiency of SLoC interdiction for military and civilian vessels. Stockpiles of old munitions will likely see a new use as components of naval mines.

Although these articles by a German military blogger consider Europe, I think many lessons can be learned for the area in question.



I'm curious about your input.

The PLAN places great emphasis on naval mine warfare. There was a rather interesting PDF by the naval war college that your might find interesting.



That should answer most of your questions and give you a good solid grounding on the subject. This thread will be a good place to discuss any questions or issues raised after reading that, but there is little point in say much more on the subject until everyone has read it since many if not most of the most common questions and issues are already covered in that paper.

Thanks, I read that recently, but totally failed to mention it as a good read on the topic (there are other good reads at this link). One bias in this source is that it only considers mine warfare waged by the PLAN, not against the PLAN.

And I must correct myself, it's not 1:10 or 1:20, but 1:100 and 1:200, the degree of greater expense posed in countering than deploying naval mines.

Rob01 said:

Proclamation of South China Sea should be given to the Philippines!

Click to expand...

Please, no one liners, atleast explain your position