US Navy Planing To Increase Counter-Insurgency Role

The US Navy is planning to create an expeditionary Sailor battalion, three riverine squadrons, a civil affairs battalion and additional intelligence units. The aim is to increase the navy's relevance in the US fight against Islamist extremism, while relieving the burden that the US Marine Corps (USMC) and Army are bearing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The riverine squadrons would consist of about 220 Sailors and 20 boats, though the precise numbers are still under consideration. The official said that Iraqi insurgents are using the rivers to transport supplies and people and that the navy needs a better means of patrolling those areas. The USMC has a riverine company, but it is being phased out this year. The navy is looking at the Special Operations Craft - riverine boats in use now by US Navy SEAL commando teams, the USMC Riverine Assault Craft or possibly another boat. The service would like to stand up one active duty squadron by the middle of 2006 and two reserve squadrons in the two years after that.