Interesting development. I went on 2 MTTs to Bangladesh to lecture on the US riverine forces in Vietnam. My main source was the CMH study at http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/Vietna...rine/index.htm
The key finding in that study was--drummmmmmmmm roll--that the doctrinal pinnings underlying riverine operations called for combined arms operations. Riverine forces were supposed to be used in concert with ground, airmobile, and aerial forces. After the initial surprise wore off for the VC and NVA forces in the Delta wore off, "pure" riverine forces did less well in closing with the enemy in any meaningful way.

Another key lesson was that there was more to "riverine" than mountiong battalion-sized operations. It was critical to use Naval brownwater patrols for inspections and interdiction along the waterways.

Funny that some 10 years after teaching that class, I was in Rwanda arguing for inclusion of surplus Swift boats for the new military to patrol Lake Kivu. That did not happen but the Rwandans did get cigarette boats (Canadian manufacture) through Uganda; these were used in the RPA operation against Iwawa island.

Best
Tom