Operational Maneuver From the Sea (OMFTS): Securing Operational/Strategic Objectives or Dien Bien Phu Revisited

Abstract

The end of the Cold War and our current U.S. military dominance, combined with increased terrorists, despots, and rogue nation states with access to weapons of mass destruction, have significantly contributed to a more complex era and the exponential possibilities of world-wide asymmetrical threats for the 21st Century. The ability of the United States to protect its vital interests through the National Security Strategy (NSS) will thus be measured in part by the armed forces' ability to support the National Military Strategy (NMS) with capabilities against these threats. Both consistent with and supportive of the NSS and NMS, Joint Vision 2010 (JV2010) is the conceptual template that provides a common direction for our services in developing a capabilities-based force within the joint framework of concepts, programs, and doctrine. The Marine Corps capstone operational warfighting concepts for maritime power projection, Operational Maneuver from the Sea (OMFTS) and Ship-To-Objective Maneuver (STOM), capitalize on the USMC maneuver warfare philosophy and support the NSS, NMS, and JV2010 guidance to Shape-Respond-Prepare Now. The principles and execution of these concepts offer warfighting Commanders in Chief (CINCs) options and solutions to asymmetrical threats in the 21st Century. However, those who choose to ignore the past are destined to repeat it. OMFTS/STOM vertical assault operations incur sustainment and fire support challenges similar to those encountered at Dien Bien Phu. This paper examines these sustainment and fire support challenges through a historical lens. These operational challenges represent a microcosm of challenges for the "Focused Logistics" and "Precision Engagement" tenets of Joint Vision 2010, and thus may influence our current and future strategy to defeat 21st Century asymmetrical threats.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 08, 2000
Accession Number
ADA378649

Entities

People

  • Joaquin F. Malavet

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Aircrafts
  • Combat Forces
  • Combat Operations
  • Department Of State
  • Fire Support
  • Governments
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Military Strategy
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Tilt Rotor Aircraft
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Strategic Security Studies