Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDVs)

[Oldgateboatdriver]

The answer to Czech_Pivo in any event is: never. We never even have had a single minehunter. We have had minesweepers, and the MCDV's can do various tasks associated with mine warfare (hence their designation as MM, meaning Miscellaneous Mine warfare), but they are not mine hunters.

The European nations fought two world wars in their waters where huge quantities of mines were used both offensively and defensively and large number of bombs were dropped in the water. To this day, they still find old, unexploded ones. Thus they need minehunters and mine warfare capabilities that we don't. In Canada and the USA, the only mines we had to worry about were the ones from our own defensive fields around a few of our harbours. We knew where they were and removed them after the war. End of need for mine warfare crafts.

The Bay class minesweepers of the 50's mentioned by FSTO ceased to be used for minesweeping in the early 60's and were turned into training vessels for MARS 3 and 4 navigation and OOW basic training and for the more advanced DNO training, until their retirement when the MCDV's came on line.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I will argue that you could effectively bottleneck the West coast of Canada with a merchant ship designed to drop delay mines on the navigation channels. You might lose said ship, but that could cause quite the issue depending on how many and what type of mines they use.

 

[KevinB]

I will argue that you could effectively bottleneck the West coast of Canada with a merchant ship designed to drop delay mines on the navigation channels. You might lose said ship, but that could cause quite the issue depending on how many and what type of mines they use.

Yes, but why ?

China isn’t going to want that, so your threat actors aren’t going to do it any time soon.

Now if China went for Taiwan, then your screwed.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Yes, but why ?

China isn’t going to want that, so your threat actors aren’t going to do it any time soon.

Now if China went for Taiwan, then your screwed.

That is a logical thought and history shows us that logic and economic ties will not stop an adversary from doing something to their opponent, even if it hurts them. Had Russia developed free trade and port access agreements with Ukraine instead of seizing Crimea, they would both be doing very well for themselves. Hell even in 1811 the Northern States were saying "We don't want to go to war with our best trading partner". There are other examples out there as well. I no longer believe economic ties are at all useful to predict a potentiel opponents actions.