Arrival and Assembly of the Maritime Prepositioned Force at Sea
Abstract
The author contends that the arrival and assembly of the MPF at sea will require changes to the MPF's operational capabilities. The Maritime Prepositioned Force (MPF) operation conducted to support the buildup of I MEF during Operation DESERT SHIELD was a success. This operation validated the MPF concept and provided lessons learned that resulted in numerous improvements. One area that still needs addressing is the MPF's vulnerability during its arrival and assembly phase. A vision for eliminating this vulnerability is provided in the U. S. Marine Corps concept for a future MPF titled "Maritime Prepositioned Force 2010 and Beyond." The concept calls for the arrival and assembly of the MPF at sea vice ashore. The paper first describes how a current day MPF operation is conducted. It then describes how arrival and assembly at sea would take place. The majority of the paper is devoted to identifying and analyzing the capabilities and requirements the MPF(F) needs if it is to be successful. The capabilities are: Receiving personnel by air and sea lift; Providing habitability; Executing command and control (C2); Preparing, issuing, and maintaining equipment; Issuing supplies; Staging personnel, supplies, and equipment as task organized units; Launching units by air and surface to integrate with augmented force; Adjusting the stability of the ship; and Providing for the ship's protection. Arrival and assembly at sea promises to make MPT operations safer without changing its purpose or essential character. The technology and know how exists today. What remains is the detailed work to identify the MPF(F)'s required capabilities so that the MPF(F) can become a reality.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 02, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA508738
Entities
People
- Walter E. Lundin
Organizations
- Marine Corps University