US Navy shifts mine countermeasures to expeditionary teams on vessels of opportunity

The US Navy is formalizing a shift from dedicated mine-countermeasure ships to Expeditionary Mine Countermeasure Companies operating from “any vessel of opportunity,” including commercial platforms, aligned with distributed maritime operations. The concept pairs EOD teams with deployable small craft and Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish UUVs to rapidly hunt/clear mines across dispersed theaters, improving flexibility and surge capacity early in a conflict.