Maritime Action Groups: The Expeditionary Building Block of the Future
Abstract
The end of the Cold War has shifted our National Military Strategy towards regional focus. This regional focus requires the Navy to develop expeditionary forces which are shaped for joint operations, that will operate forward from the sea and are tailored to national needs. While the carrier battlegroup (CVBG) is part of this expeditionary force, it is often too large to efficiently apply across the full spectrum of conflict. Furthermore, because of the downsizing of the military, which accompanied this change in threat, a CVBG will not always be available. A smaller expeditionary building block is necessary. The maritime action group (MAG) as developed by Vice Admiral William A. Owens (N8, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Warfare Requirements and Assessment), provides a superb foundation for the Navy's new expeditionary force. The MAG has the required capabilities, (command, control and surveillance, battleship dominance, power projection, and force sustainment) as specified in From the Sea. Furthermore, the MAG lends itself particularly well to joint and coalition operations. It can be shaped to provide a number of flexible options specifically tailored to regional areas of crisis response. It is an efficient use of our existing assets and it is a viable alternative answer to the question, 'where are the carriers?'
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA264147
Entities
People
- John W. Dziminowicze
Organizations
- Naval War College