Caravan Magazine

A journal of politics and culture

Mine Warfare

War

Delay, Disrupt, Degrade: The Power of Mine Warfare in Taiwan’s Porcupine Defense Strategy

In 1884, during the Sino-French War, a fleet of heavily armed French warships advanced toward Taiwan’s Tamsui Harbor, only to be stopped by a series of naval mines and stone-laden boats. This unexpected obstacle thwarted the French from advancing to…

War

Lessons Learned or Lessons Observed: The U.S. Navy’s Blind Spot in Mine Warfare

Since 1945, mines have been responsible for sinking or severely damaging 15 of the 19 U.S. ships lost in combat. Despite this sobering statistic, mine warfare remains an underdeveloped and often overlooked area of focus for the U.S. Navy. Meanwhile,…