Mines, Naval

The United States and other nations have used naval mines offensively since the invention of the “Bushnell Keg” during the American Revolution, but their largest impact has been as the weapon of choice for many smaller nations and forces, even those without an established navy. The world’s premier naval forces have therefore been forced to focus on mine countermeasures (MCM) as a basic tenet of sea control and power projection. This entry provides a brief history of the use of naval mines and provides a basic primer on general types and classifications of mines as well as specific definitions associated with mine warfare.