PLAN MINE WARFARE
Sorry for changing track gentlemen, but may I humbly suggest that the posts so far are forgetting the lessons of Operation Starvation (the US naval mining of Japan), the stopping of the invasion armada of 250 allied warships by the Communist mines at Wonsan, the Tripoli, the Princeton, the Samuel B. Roberts, and the immense strategic import and massive production of naval mines that has always occupied a central pillar of PLAN naval strategy.
PLAN strategy talks both of a single submarine laying a complex 50 mine minefield, and using civillian vessels to lay mines before the outbreak of hostilities.
Invasion plans for Taiwan speak of over 500 ships and aircraft equipped to lay mines and the laying of 14,000 mines to block all attempts at allied naval intervention. Following a surge of 7,000 mines laid on the first two days, each subsequent day some 2,000 further mines can be laid.
More US ships have been both sunk and damaged by mines since the end of WW2 than by any other factor.
50 mines laid in Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne etc would close down our SLOC and is a constant source of cocern.
New Zealand and Australian naval defence would be well advised to prioritise on neutralising the Communist Chinese mine and submarine threats and ensuring the defence of civillian shipping...