NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE

SCHOOL

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

THESIS

NAVAL MINES IN THE 21ST CENTURY: CAN NATO NAVIES MEET THE CHALLENGE? by John J. Rios June 2005

Thesis Advisor: Second Reader:

Daniel Moran Steven Ashby

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1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE June 2005

3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master's Thesis

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE:

Naval Mines in the 21ST Century: Can NATO Navies Meet the Challenge?

5. FUNDING NUMBERS

6. AUTHOR(S) John J. Rios

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000

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11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

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13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words)

With the end of the Cold War, NATO countries have embarked on transformation initiatives within their militaries

to address the new security realities of the 21st century. One of the realities that has not changed is the threat posed to modern navies by sea mines. Global proliferation of sea mines, both older variants and advanced designs, has continued to grow and presents a unique challenge to maritime security for NATO. As NATO forces engage in more expeditionary operations, they must be prepared to counter the danger posed by mines from state and non-state actors. This includes ensuring that vital sea lines of communication (SLOCS), strategic chokepoints

throughout the world, commercial ports and naval bases remain open and uncontested. In order to meet the challenge of the 21st century mine threat, NATO must continue to develop balanced MCM capabilities that satisfy

expeditionary requirements (such as OMCM for in-stride operations) while maintaining effective dedicated forces

to conduct sustained MCM operations against more traditional mining operations.

14. SUBJECT TERMS Amcm, Mcm, Omcm, Smcm, Uuv, Usv, C2, Nato, Nrf, Snmcmgroup1, Snmcmgroup2, Cmwc, Littorals, Proliferation, Lcs, Chokepoints, Slocs, Operation Allied Harvest, Tanker Wars, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom

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79

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NAVAL MINES IN THE 21ST CENTURY: CAN NATO NAVIES MEET THE CHALLENGE? John J. Rios

Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., Mount Olive College, 1998

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 2005

Author:

John J. Rios

Approved by:

Daniel Moran Thesis Advisor

Steven Ashby Second Reader/Co-Advisor

Douglas Porch Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs

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