Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and the Maritime Prepositioning Force

Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare (EMW) is the operational future of the Marine Corps. The ability of the Marine Corps to move substantial combat power into theater and sustain that combat power is dependent on the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF). However, current capabilities are not able to support the total vision of EMW. EMW places emphasis on rapid deployment with the ability to sustain forces from the sea. This requires a sea-based logistics capability and ships specifically designed to meet the needs of the expeditionary force. Currently, there are three MPS squadrons that support this mission. Each squadron is designed to support one MEB (17,000 personnel) for 30 days. The problem with the current capability is that a permissive area is required to conduct the offloading and marrying of supplies and troops. The MPF ships need a secure port facility to offload supplies, and the troops need a secure airfield to fly into. After Desert Storm, the Marine Corps implemented the MPF enhancement program, which adds one MPF ship, with improved capabilities, to each squadron. Each of the enhanced ships has a Naval fleet hospital, a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, and expeditionary airfield capabilities. The new ships have roll on/roll off, lift on/lift off, and in-stride and in-stream capabilities. They can offload cargo either pier side or at anchor in a sea state of up to three. However, these enhancements still do not satisfy current EMW requirements. The Marine Corps vision of MPF, as outlined in MPF 2010 and beyond, lays out five pillars and three capabilities that are necessary to support several EMW concepts. The pillars of force closure (arrival and assembly at sea), indefinite sustainment (sea-based logistics), and the capability of sustained seabasing are going to require ships that are not currently in the inventory or part of the MPF enhancement program.