Maritime prepositioning force (future) capability assessment : planned and alternative structures / Robert W. Button [et al.].

Format:

Book

Government document

Contributor:

National Defense Research Institute (U.S.)

Button, Robert.

Series:

Rand Corporation monograph series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Navy-yards and naval stations--United States.

Navy-yards and naval stations.

Sea-power--United States.

Sea-power.

United States. Navy--Operational readiness.

United States.

United States. Marine Corps--Operational readiness.

United States. Navy--Appropriations and expenditures.

United States. Marine Corps--Appropriations and expenditures.

United States. Navy--Planning.

United States. Marine Corps--Planning.

Physical Description:

xxi, 79 pages : color illustrations

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, CA : RAND Corporation, 2010.

Summary:

Navy and Marine Corps Sea Basing concepts envision the development of capabilities that will allow the rapid deployment, assembly, command, projection, reconstitution, and re-employment of expeditionary forces from the sea. The RAND Corporation assessed alternative structures for the proposed Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future), or MPF(F), squadron and how these changes would affect abilities to support a Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) in operations ranging from counterinsurgency to special operations to major combat operations. This assessment of the capabilities of alternative structures for the MPF(F) considers the need for both logistics support and casualty evacuation and care in assessing MPF(F) capabilities. Most of the variations considered entail removing large-deck ships from the squadron. RAND researchers also explored the possibility of an MPF(F) construct where only surface connectors, and no aircraft, could be used for supporting a MEB. The researchers found that degradation to logistics throughput resulting from eliminating large-deck ships from the MPF(F) could be offset by substituting CH-53K helicopters for MV-22s, with air connectors from other ships also helping provide adequate throughput capacity. Although eliminating all large-deck ships would also eliminate major medical capabilities, the squadron would otherwise retain the ability to provide logistics support for a full range of major combat, counterinsurgency, and special operations.

Contents:

Analysis and scenarios

Key findings

pt. 1. Introduction and objectives

Introduction

Study objectives

Research approach

Organization of this report

pt. 2. Operational concepts and scenarios

Sea basing operation concepts

Marine Corps concepts

Operational scenarios

Single MEB sustainment scenario

Two-MEB sustainment scenario

pt. 3. Major combat operations

Sustaining a single MEB in an MCO

Sustaining two MEBs in an MCO

pt. 4. Counterinsurgency operations

The nature of COIN operations

Possible roles of the sea base in COIN

Logistics requirements in COIN operations

pt. 5. MPF(F) as a Joint Special Operations Task Force afloat forward staging base

The nature of joint special operations

Role of sea bases in special operations

USSOCOM's strategic objectives

Chapter conclusions

Conclusions

Appendix A: Additional cases

Scenario excursions

Separate operational concepts

Appendix B: Maritime prepositioning force (future) description

LHA(R) and LHD

T-AKE cargo ships

LMSR cargo ships

Mobile landing platform

Appendix C: MPF(F) MEB sustainment requirements

Appendix D: Model description

Overview

Model data

Testing.

Notes:

"MG-943-OSD"--Page 4 of cover "Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense." "RAND National Defense Research Institute."