Quote:
Originally Posted by Webstral
It's fascinating how the Belgian Navy appears purpose-built for mine warfare. There's good sense to it, of course. Keeping the sea lanes to the ports of northwestern Europe open would have been of paramount importance.
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That was a purposeful choice by NATO and Belgium made in the 1970s. As post-WW2 ships were retired, and left without a need to support overseas colonies, Belgium held down her costs and concentrated on (smaller) anti-mine vessels and technologies that would be deployed close to home - the North Sea and English Channel and left ocean wandering to France, Britain and the United States, and coastal missile boats and submarines to Germany and Norway who would be a front line against Warsaw Pact navies.
Uncle Ted