Gulf War Mining Case Study

Iraqi Minelaying Capabilities

During the eight year Iran/Iraq war, Iraq had laid over 400 mines (ground, influence and moored) utilising straight line fields defensively in the northern gulf.  The 1989 arms fair in Baghdad had revealed the existence of several types of indigenous mine and Iraqi capability to mass produce moored and ground mines was confirmed.  Iraqi mine stockpiles were assessed to be in the order of several hundred mines of various types and, with the exception of the Italian produced Manta mine, the sophistication level was low.  However, the intricacies of some of the indigenous mines were at that stage unknown.

When the armed forces of Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1989 the threat posed to Coalition forces by mine laid by the Iraqis was recognised early.  All assessments placed mines at the head of the threat list and mine warfare awareness. Iraqi Mining expertise, was evident from the start.

In late 1989, Iraqi Minelaying activity in the Northern Area of the Gulf (NAG) was suspected and Iraqi T-34 and P-6, Fast Attack Craft, were identified as possibly conducting Minelaying activities.  However, no intensive surveillance or any form of mine watch activity was organised by the allies until late January and even at that stage, the surveillance was not coordinated.  This was later recognised as a crucial error on the part of the coalition.

Three RN Hunt Class MCMVs, ATHERSTONE, HURWORTH and CATTISTOCK left Rosyth as early as 13 August, later to be reinforced by two more. Before the end of that month the survey ship HMS HERALD, (later relieved by HECLA) completed a rapid conversion and was on her way to the Gulf to support them.  As the days passed and it became clear the Iraqis were not going to comply with the UN resolution, calls went out to nations that supported the UN to contribute MCM resources.  The Belgian Navy responded immediately and sent three Tripartite Minehunters and a support ship.

Early in September, the US Navy announced that the Dutch heavy lift ship SUPER SERVANT III had been chartered to take the new MCMV AVENGER (MCM-1) and the older wooden hulled Minehunters ADROIT, IMPERVIOUS and LEADER to the Gulf.  Such a move was unusual, as the other coalition MCMVs had transmitted under their own steam. The reason given was to avoid the engine and generator running hours on both classes of ship. Early September also saw the setting up of a degaussing range and a portable noise range in the Southern Area of the Gulf (SAG) specifically for RN Hunt Class, but later used by all vessels.