The U.S. Navy’s Approach to Mines during the Tanker War (Winter/Spring 2025 Review)
Abstract
In the summer of 1987, the supertanker SS Bridgeton struck an Iranian mine while traveling as part of a convoy in the Persian Gulf and under escort by U.S. warships. The mining laid bare a critical vulnerability of the world’s most powerful navy. Despite their having damaged more ships than any other weapon since World War II, the U.S. Navy had overlooked the threat of naval mines during the so-called Tanker War of the 1980s—just as it had during other conflicts—but this lapse might have had a silver lining. The Navy’s unpreparedness bred operational ingenuity, producing the longest multiship tow of its kind, the first deployment of Special Operations Command, and the creation of novel floating sea bases. Nevertheless, beneath these impressive short-term solutions lay a troubling pattern of neglect.
