Mine Countermeasures Requirements To Support Future Operational Maneuver

istorically, the Navy’s mine countermeasures ships and helicopters were designed for Cold War applications, which emphasized clearance of our own ports and gave amphibious assault low priority. Today’s naval mission requires regional contingency operations where friendly forces must be capable of projecting power ashore. For example, the attempted assault of Kuwait during Desert Storm by the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps team demonstrated the difficulty of executing an amphibious assault where the enemy’s coast is defended with mines, obstacles, and shore fire. To fight effectively in the littorals, naval forces must develop a capability to insert marines and materiel from sea to shore where the shallow water and beaches are thus defended. This article examines alternatives for conducting future amphibious operations and discusses some of the more promising mine countermeasures techniques. (