The Future of Mine Countermeasures
By Lieutenant Commander Jon Paris, U.S. Navy | July 15, 2019
Lieutenant Commander Paris is a surface warfare officer stationed in Manama, Bahrain. In addition to a minesweeper, he has served on board both cruisers and destroyers and has deployed to the Fifth and Seventh Fleet AORs. His opinions are his own and do not reflect the official position of the United States Navy.
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The U.S. Navy is focused on high-end warfare—engaging antiship cruise missiles, defeating hypersonic weapons, protecting the homeland and allies from ballistic missiles, and operating the air wing far from shore in a command-and-control degraded environment. We are focused on defeating those we sometimes still call “near-peer†competitors. Our fleet’s muscle will not make it to the high-end fight, though, if it fears the deceptively destructive naval mine. Make no mistake, though not flashy, mine warfare is relevant today. The U.S. Navy generally subscribes to the notion that mines are used by lesser forces and are to be defeated by stronger navies.[1] History shows us otherwise, though. How do we combat mines in a 21st-century Navy? The answer does not require reinventing the wheel. The Fleet-tested platforms, complete with resident knowledge on board, exist. The answer involves following a path the Navy has been down before—updating and improving upon a legacy platform and reintroducing it to the fleet. Surface-borne mine countermeasures deserves its fair share of attention—from the service, from the surface community, and from resource sponsors. The Navy should make what is old, new again—build and deploy a 21st-century Avenger.
https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/07/15/the-future-of-mine-countermeasures
