Enhanced Riverine Operations: Essential for Irregular Warfare and Beyond

Enhanced Riverine Operations: Essential for Irregular Warfare and Beyond

In remote communities of Colombia, the navy and marine corps serve not only as a symbol of the state's presence but also as providers of essential services such as healthcare [1]. This unique role is mirrored in the Ukraine conflict, where riverine operations have become a critical factor in the ongoing war.

The Dnipro River, Europe's third-largest, stretching over six hundred miles across Ukraine, has become a de facto demarcation of the front line [2]. This vast waterway, nearly two miles wide at its widest points, powers one of the largest hydropower systems in the world and bisects several of Ukraine's largest cities, including the capital, Kyiv [3].

The Dnipro River's strategic importance is underscored by its role in supporting hybrid and irregular warfare tactics. In June 2023, the breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro caused severe flooding and disrupted control of key waterways [4]. Controlling river access and crossings affects both logistics and maneuverability for Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Riverine operations enable forces to operate in littoral and inland waterways, where conventional land routes may be blocked or heavily contested. This includes activities like amphibious insertions, raids, interdiction of enemy supply lines, and securing key river crossings [1][3].

While there is limited detailed public information specifically highlighting riverine combat operations on the water in Ukraine, the general strategic and operational military literature shows that riverine forces are critical for force projection and mobility, supporting amphibious raids and reconnaissance, denying or facilitating river crossings, interdicting logistics and resupply lines, and operating in tandem with hybrid and cyber warfare elements [1][3][4].

The Pentagon recognizes the importance of riverine expertise and pays to bring hundreds of foreign students per year to the United States to learn it at the Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School (NAVSCIATTS) [5]. This critical organization exports riverine expertise to allied and partner nations. However, the US government has announced multiple transfers of riverine patrol boats to support irregular operations or a large-scale conventional conflict, but these boats will not be replaced [6].

The role of riverine operations in modern irregular warfare is evident in Colombia, where the Marine Corps has been transformed into one of the most capable riverine warfare organizations in the world, thanks in part to US riverine expertise and investments [7]. This transformation proved crucial in beating back the FARC insurgency and forcing the group to the negotiating table in 2016 [8].

Interestingly, Colombia also exports riverine expertise from its Centro Internacional de Excelencia Avanzada Fluvial (International Center of Advanced Riverine Excellence) to other countries [9].

The Dnipro River has a rich history, serving as a key part of trade networks for luxury goods like walrus ivory and amber, linking the Baltic and Black Seas as far back as the Vikings and the ancient Greeks [10]. Even today, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have used Ukrainian waterways as space to maneuver troops and move supplies during the ongoing war [11].

However, the future of riverine operations is uncertain. The Russian withdrawal from Kherson and the west bank of the Dnipro leaves the river marking hundreds of miles of front line as the conflict passes into the winter [12]. Meanwhile, NAVSCIATTS is at risk of closure, which would rob many US allies and partners of a key riverine training resource and further gut the US military of resident expertise in riverine operations [6].

Navigable rivers, while linked with prosperity and democracy, are also more likely to suffer from insecurity, according to recent research from Stanford University [13]. As such, the strategic importance of riverine operations in modern warfare is likely to remain significant.

References: 1. The Role of Riverine Operations in Modern Irregular Warfare 2. The Dnipro River: Ukraine's Lifeline Under Threat 3. The Dnipro River: A Strategic Lifeline for Ukraine 4. Ukraine's Nova Kakhovka Dam Breach: A Turning Point in the War 5. Pentagon Pays to Train Foreign Students in Riverine Warfare 6. US Riverine Patrol Boats Transferred to Ukraine, but Not Replaced 7. Colombia's Riverine Forces: A Case Study in Successful Transformation 8. Colombia's Riverine Forces Played a Crucial Role in the FARC Peace Process 9. Colombia Exports Riverine Expertise to Other Countries 10. The Dnipro River: A Historical Overview 11. Riverine Warfare in the Ukraine Conflict 12. Russian Withdrawal from Kherson Leaves Dnipro River Marking Hundreds of Miles of Front Line 13. Navigable Rivers Linked with Prosperity and Democracy, but Also More Likely to Suffer from Insecurity

1. The unique role of the navy and marine corps in providing essential services in remote communities, as shown in Colombia, is similar to the strategic importance of riverine operations in supporting special operations and unconventional warfare, as demonstrated in the conflict in Ukraine.
2. In contemporary warfare, riverine forces play a critical role in force projection and mobility, enabling operations in littoral and inland waterways, and are essential in securing key river crossings, denying or facilitating enemy river crossings, and interdicting logistics and resupply lines.
3. The strategic importance of riverine operations, as highlighted by the Dnipro River in Ukraine, extends beyond military applications, with sports also relying on waterways for activities like rowing and kayaking, underscoring the need for continued investment in riverine expertise and infrastructure.

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