The Paradigm of Naval Mine Countermeasures: A Study in Stagnation
Abstract
Significant deficiencies in the development of naval mine countermeasures doctrine have hampered the effective employment of naval forces in both blue water and littoral operations for many years. The U.S. Navy has struggled with the difficult task of mine clearance operations for over 100 years. Naval mine countermeasures and procedures have been historically reactionary and essentially unfocused in their evolution. This reactionary approach to mine countermeasures is evident in the following: the lack of a published countermeasures doctrine, the failure to fully integrate mine countermeasures forces into the operating forces, and fragmentary research and development efforts due to the lack of a coherent doctrine to guide them. Examples of these difficulties can be identified in Wonson Harbor during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and in present-day planning for expeditionary warfare. The Navy has published a number of documents that purport to move mine countermeasures forces into a more effective and efficient force posture. The problems with these documents are that they fail to include the U.S. Marine Corps as a full participant, and they seek to solve conceptual problems with technological solutions. The author sets forth four recommendations. First, a comprehensive, coherent, naval mine countermeasures doctrine should be developed by the Naval Doctrine Command. Second, a reorganization of the Mine Warfare Command should be undertaken to fully integrate the Marine Corps by rotating leadership between a Navy Flag officer and a Marine Corps General officer. Third, the operational command and control hierarchy for amphibious operations should be adjusted so that the Mine Warfare Commander reports to and works for the Landing Force Commander. Finally, the training cycles for all MCM forces, both Navy and Marine Corps, should be aligned with the interdeployment cycles of the forces that they will support.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA529191
Entities
People
- Joel T. Griner Jr.
Organizations
- Marine Corps University