Mine and Expeditionary Warfare Applied Research

The Mine and Expeditionary Warfare Applied Research Program Element (PE) focuses on advancing technologies to counter sea mines, which are a significant threat to naval operations. It aims to enhance Naval Mine Countermeasures (MCM), Expeditionary Warfare, and Naval Special Warfare capabilities. The program supports the development of technologies that align with the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Warfighting Capability Objectives, emphasizing minimal casualties and collateral damage. Key efforts include Ship-to-Objective Maneuver (STOM) technologies, rapid MCM operations, and urban asymmetric warfare capabilities.

This initiative prioritizes the development and transition of technologies for clandestine and overt minefield reconnaissance, organic ship self-protection, and mine hunting and neutralization. It also focuses on enhancing Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for urban asymmetric operations. Efforts in Naval Special Warfare and Explosive Ordnance Disposal aim to improve near-shore mine detection, diver mobility, survivability, and ordnance disposal operations.

The Mine Technology initiative within this program seeks to develop advanced undersea weapons and next-generation mining concepts. This includes efforts in remote control command systems, advanced sensing technologies, and compatibility with unmanned delivery options. The objective is to support fleet demands for next-generation naval mining concepts by advancing target detection devices (TDDs) and miniaturizing naval mine subcomponents.

Additionally, the program supports applied research in mine/obstacle detection to improve detection ranges and accuracy while reducing false alarms. This involves developing novel sonar technologies for longer-range detection of mine-like targets or obstacles on or near the seafloor. Efforts also include integrating sensors onto Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and developing machine learning algorithms for improved sensor information processing. These initiatives aim to enhance autonomous system performance in complex environments while supporting environmental situational awareness in littoral zones.