MINWARA
The Mine Warfare Association
|
|
|
Mine Warfare Association Sea Mine Warfare: An Assessment Update
The recent summer regional conference was a huge success. Fourteen flag and general officers, representing the most senior leadership in the U. S. Navy and U. S. Marine Corps, provided speeches or presentations. In addition, five senior industry leaders presented their views, relative to improving mine warfare capabilities and programs. Six retired flag officers were in attendance. The key speakers included Admiral Vern Clark, USN (CNO), Admiral Bob Natter, USN (CINCLANTFLT), Admiral Stan Arthur, USN(Ret), BGEN Gordon Nash, USMC, and a senior Navy flag leadership panel (Opnav N70, N75, N76B, N77B, and N780). The CNO’s remarks clearly focused on assured access as the strategic objective for pursuit of mine warfare mission capability packages/programs. Mine warfare is key to assured access. We need to carefully and fully define the total spectrum of requirements capabilities, determine how to divide/duplicate them between organic (assigned) and dedicated (supporting) mine warfare forces in an affordable manner, and aggressively pursue acquisition/modernization to achieve the total mission capability package. CINCLANTFLT spoke to improvements being made to mainstream mine warfare in our main battle forces. A key element is the new CVBG/ARG Mine Warfare Concept of Operations. The concept of operations establishes the Mine Warfare Commander as a principal warfare commander within the fleet composite warfare command structure. The concept now needs to be exercised and refined to allow future generation of new tactics, techniques, and procedures. The concept also deals with integrated mine warfare operations by battle forces and dedicated forces, following battle force efforts in early stages of a contingency/conflict. Fleet exercises need to include participation by the INCHON (MCS-12) and dedicated forces, to develop this integrated capability. Admiral Stan Arthur (former COMUSNAVCENT during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and, subsequently, VCNO) reviewed enduring mine warfare lessons learned during the Gulf conflict. He emphasized the necessity for ISR and ROE that permits destruction of enemy mine stocks, prevention of enemy minelaying, surveillance of enemy minelaying activity, and detailed knowledge of the environment to allow ready identification of mines in the water. He is concerned that we may not provide the training and fleet exercises necessary to be prepared to deal with limits on assured access posed by mines. “Mine warfare is not a pick-up game.” BGEN Gordon Nash reviewed the requirements capabilities needed to support power projection in a mined environment. ISR good enough to avoid mined assault and logistics lanes, with alternative capability to breach the weakest surf zone/beach zone defenses at landing penetration points is critically needed. At present, the breaching capability is still in the research and development stage. A clearance capability to match the introduction of highly mobile AAAV’s and MV-22’s remains a challenge. A senior industry leadership panel provided thought provoking comments concerning industry/government teaming efforts to improve requirements generation, improve acquisition timelines and industry response, and improve government acquisition processes for mine warfare programs. The PEO MUW (Rdml Mike Sharp) indicated his intent to involve industry in government efforts to respond to these concerns. A wide spectrum of issues was discussed, based on the presentations above and on remaining presentations. These included, in part:
Many additional aspects of the subjects above were discussed in open forum and during ample breaks in the conference schedule. In summary, many important issues were discussed between senior USN/USMC leadership and the mine warfare community, both military and industry. |
|
[ MINWARA HOME | MISSION
STATEMENT
| PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE | MEETINNGS
& SYMPOSIA
| THE MINE WARFARE ASSOCIATION
|
