Recognizing command and organizational shortfalls, in early 1992 the Navy designated the Mine Warfare Command (MINEWARCOM) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas as the operational focal point for all mine warfare forces. MINEWARCOM also controls subordinate units based at NAS Kingsville, Texas and Naval Station Ingleside, Texas. The Commander, MINEWARCOM (COMINEWARCOM) locates and neutralizes sea mines worldwide by directing the Navy’s mine countermeasures "triad," consisting of dedicated surface, air, and underwater assets. COMINEWARCOM is also responsible for the development of the Navy’s mining strategy and the entire inventory of sea mines planted via a variety of air, surface, and underwater platforms for both offensive and defensive mining roles. Further mining responsibilities of COMINEWARCOM include:

• Ensuring the material readiness of all mine warfare units
• Enhancing the integrated training of all mine warfare elements (airborne, surface, and EOD)
• Conducting training and exercises with Fleet units and staffs
• Exercising command of all mine warfare forces when deployed

COMINEWARCOM has worldwide responsibility for 27 ships, including 14 mine countermeasures ships (MCMs), 12 coastal minehunters (MHCs), and the Navy’s only mine countermeasures command and control ship (USS INCHON, MCS 12). COMINEWARCOM also serves as operational commander of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadrons FOURTEEN (Norfolk, Virginia) and FIFTEEN (NAS Corpus Christi) as well as dozens of EOD detachments during mine countermeasures operations. MINEWARCOM is truly recognized as the "Mine Warfare Center of Excellence."

Mobile Mine Assembly Group

The consolidation of MIW forces has provided a unique opportunity to combine the visionary ideas of COMINEWARCOM and the Commander, Training Force Atlantic (COMTRALANT) in the first of a new generation of warfare support centers: the Mine Warfare Training Center (MWTC) in Ingleside, Texas.  The MWTC is the Navy’s single instructional site for providing tactical and hands-on training in MIW.  It enjoys a rich mine training history that is briefly outlined as follows:

A Mineman Trainee at the MWTC Practices Assembling a QUICKSTRIKE Mine Mk 62

  Regardless of its changing name and physical location over the past 60 years, the MIW “schoolhouse” has professionally trained over 555,000 students from the United States as well as from 35 other nations via their International Training program.  The MWTC provides all manner of mine warfare tactical, doctrinal, and technical training while promoting the “main-streaming” of MIW throughout our Navy.  Courses specific to MCM and MHC ships are also offered.  As such, it has assumed the lead in preparing, consolidating, and distributing MIW training products to the Fleet.  The MWTC continually attracts the foremost tactical and theoretical MIW experts to its faculty and staff of approximately 100 personnel.  Veteran mine warriors with fresh field experiences teach a new, expanded sequence of Mining and MCM courses such as:

 The MWTC is also linked on-line through local and wide-area computer networks, including a gateway to the Internet.  These technologies allow the MWTC to fully train the mine force locally as well as worldwide to support virtually anyone requiring its information, products, and services.  A future connectivity initiative will add classified links between COMINEWARCOM, Naval research laboratories, and other schools from around the world.  Advanced simulation trainers, a Learning Resource Center, expanded video teleconferencing capabilities, and an interactive graphics-intensive classroom are but a few additional initiatives planned to help the MWTC keep pace with emerging MIW educational requirements.  Readers interested in learning more about the MWTC are encouraged to visit their Web Page on the Internet at http://mwtc.mwtc.spear.navy.mil.

Program Executive Office for Mine Warfare

The Program Executive Office for Mine Warfare (PEO MIW) was formed in late 1992 as the Navy’s central activity for designing, engineering, integrating, building, procuring, and maintaining:

• Mine warfare systems
• Mine warfare ships
• EOD capabilities
• Airborne and surface mine countermeasures
• Naval Special Warfare MCM
• Magnetic silencing programs

PEO MIW works closely with the program sponsors and program managers to provide fully capable and integrated mine warfare systems to the Fleet Commanders.

The Surface Mine Warfare Systems Program Office (PMS490) functions under the PEO MIW, providing overall management and technical direction for the production and life cycle support of all mine warfare systems. Specific responsibilities include:

• Providing logistics management for all acquisition programs
• Overseeing all mine production-related plans and efforts
• Making budget evaluations to influence program/project plans
• Participating in contract negotiations and design reviews
• Overseeing the Foreign Military Sales program
• Providing engineering services for all mine programs

NUWC Detachment Hawthorne in Hawthorne, Nevada serves as the depot and storage organization for the mining community.  Its main function is the Receipt, Segregation, Storage, and Issue (RSS&I) of mine commodities.  It also performs maintenance on Fleet return materials and conducts demilitarization and disposal actions on mine systems in excess of program requirements.

The COASTSYSTA, located in Panama City, Florida is recognized as the world leader in mine development and life cycle management.  It formulates, develops, manages, and executes new technology developments and upgrades of underwater mine components and mine systems, applying expert engineering disciplines in the areas of: 

·                     Sensors and electronic elements used in target detection devices

·                     Mechanical structures

·                     Flight retardation, stabilization, and control

·                     Mine delivery systems 

COASTSYSTA provides for complete mine life cycle management and logistical support.  It offers a unique mix of engineering expertise, research laboratories, and test facilities dedicated to MIW.  COASTSYSTA is collocated with three other Navy activities whose missions in Amphibious Warfare, Special Warfare, and Diving/Life Support directly support and complement MIW.  This synergism of capabilities, experience, knowledge, facilities, and missions create an extraordinary environment in which to develop requirements, system hardware/software, and tactics for MIW.  COASTSYSTA’s strategic location on the Gulf of Mexico offers local test environments that closely duplicate many of the regions most important to Naval missions today. 

The Mine Performance and Minefield Effectiveness Group at the COASTSYSTA develops mine detection and control algorithms and operational data on U.S. Naval mines against high-priority vessels.  This data is maintained in a database accessible to Fleet minefield planners and published in a nine-volume compendium of U.S. Naval mine characteristics.  Specifics of this effort include: the development of mission-abort damage contours, the acquisition of target signatures, and the generation of target damage for various mine algorithms.  COASTSYSTA develops minefield planning theory as well as effectiveness and analysis techniques.  Mine exercise data is analyzed and incorporated into current and future software tools.  A mine effectiveness database is maintained and updated on a regular basis.  Responsibilities include life-cycle maintenance and upgrades of the following software products: 

·         The Geo-Operational Planning and Assessment System (GOPAS)

·         The Mine Master Record Sheet Application (MRSAPP)

·         The Forward Area Minefield Planning Module (FAMP), which is a modular component of the Tactical Aircraft Mission Planning System (TAMPS)

As the ISEA for mines, the COASTSYSTA is responsible for providing a standard method of communicating and coordinating critical engineering and support functions necessary for the complete life cycle support of all assets used by the MIW community.

A Mineman Affixes a Tail Section Mk 7 to a QUICKSTRIKE Laying Mine Mk 65

QUICKSTRIKE Handling Mines Mk 65 Are Loaded in an Air Force B-1B Lancer Bomber