Speed turns from missile attack to mines that Soviet submarines, ships, or aircraft could lay around northwest Europe. The continental shelf and approaches to major ports made the region particularly vulnerable. Hunt-class vessels used glass-reinforced-plastic hulls and a low magnetic signature while combining minehunting and sweeping functions. One vessel had entered service, another had launched, and a new order for four more was announced during the debate. Mine countermeasures were a strategic requirement for keeping reinforcement and commercial routes usable rather than a minor auxiliary task.
Chapter · 2:12:42-2:17:10
Hunt-class mine countermeasures for vulnerable European waters
Soviet mine stocks and northwest Europe's shallow approaches explain the Hunt class's low magnetic signature, dual hunting-and-sweeping role, and expanding order book.