Amphibious Requirements

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• Amphibious Requirements

USN and USMC Warfighter Talks 2 February 2007
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Why Seabasing?

• A National Capability
• Exploits sea as maneuver space 365 days a year
• Enables Coalition/Joint Forces
• Maximizes the effects of forward presence
• Steps lightly on allies and partners
• Executes full range of operations in area denial
  and anti-access environments
• With Operational Flexibility
• Close, Assemble, Employ, Sustain, Reconstitute,
  all from the Seabase
• Freedom of movement and inherent force protection
  
• Minimizes the vulnerability of iron mountains
  ashore
• Able to transition warfighting capabilities
  ashore
• In a Joint Context
• Sea Basing Joint Integrating Concept guides
  Joint Forces to improve access and sustainment
  from the sea
• Arrival and assembly at sea
• Selective offload at sea
• Indefinite sustainment for forces ashore

A Key Enabler in Operationalizing the NOC
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Whats in the Seabase?
Maritime Prepositioning Group
Combat Logistics Force Ships
Task organized forces to meet COCOM mission
requirements
Carrier Strike Group
Coalition Force and Sister Service Ships
Expeditionary Strike Group
Connectors
Seabasing is more than just MPF(F)
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What are Marine Corps MEB Requirements?

• SPG
• Single two MEB forcible entry operation
• Current Operation Plans (OPLANs)
• Most stringent requirement is 2.5 MEBs (2 MEBs
  2 MEUs)
  
• Defense Planning Scenario /Multi Service Force
  Deployment
• Most stringent requirement is 2 MEBs 2 MEUs
  
• Capabilities-Based Marine Corps
• Two Amphib MEB Assault Echelons one off each
  coast
• Three afloat prepositioned MEBs (MPS)
• Support land-based MEBs per current OPLANs

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The Baseline MEB

• Notes
• Aircraft spots are calculated in SH-60 equivalent
  spotting factors. 2. This data does not include
  broken stow factor of 0.37 across the 15 ship
  loadout.

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The Assault EchelonComposition Attributes

• 15 fully combat capable amphibious warfare ships
  per MEB AE
• Survivability characteristics
• - Low susceptibility and vulnerability
• - High recoverability
• U.S. Navy manned flight decks, well decks,
  damage control
• Robust MAGTF C2
• Full suite of troop berthing, messing, training
  spaces designed for long-term loitering
  capabilities

Amphibious Ships A Proven, Flexible Capability
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MPF(F) Squadron Composition(PB-08 Based)

• 14 ships
• 3 ships built to military standards
• 11 built to commercial standards
• MLP required for surface interface

Hot Production Line

• Capability
• Full MEB
• 1 vertical battalion
• 2 surface battalions
• Selectively off-loadable
• Personnel are on Sea Base
• Meets delivery timeline for vertical and surface
  battalions

New Design
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MPF(F) How We Got Here

• MPF(F) Mission Need Statement, May 01
• operational and logistics support capability to
  meet widely varied expeditionary missions"
• MPF(F) does not possess a forcible entry
  capability.
• Strategic Planning Guidance (SPG) (2004)
• Early entry capabilities forward for rapid
  action (10-30-30)
• To meet 10 forces have to be prepositioned
• To meet 30 forces have to be forcible entry
  capable
• Acting SecNav/CNO/CMC Decision Meeting, May 05
• Approved MPF(F) squadron capabilities and 14.5B
  squadron including three big-deck amphib hull
  forms
• SASC testimony (2005) - MPF(F) will support the
  key capability of a rapid response force
• MROC DM 08-2007, Dec 06
• Marine Forces embarked on MPF(F) ships arenot
  capable of conducting forcible entry operations.
• CMC HAC-D Written Statement, Jan 07
• this capability does not constitute a forcible
  entry capability.

Prepositioning Requirement Evolved
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Current 30-Yr Shipbuilding PlanAmphibious
Capability

• Assault Echelon
• 31 Ships (27 Ao for MCO)
• 9 LHA/D, 10 LPD, 12 LSD
• Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future)
• 14 Ships Prepositioned
• 2 LHA(R), 1 LHD, 3 T-AKE, 3 LMSR, 3 MLP, 2 T-AK
• Maritime Prepo Squadron
• 2 MPSRONs, each consisting of 5 T-AKs or
  commercial equivalent

Based on 313 Shipbuilding Plan
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Key Warfighter Issues

• What is the USMC AE requirement?
• 30 Ao ships (10/10/10) for 2.0 MEB forcible entry
• Requires minimum inventory of 11/11/11
• What is the combat capability of MPF(F)?
• MPF(F) CDD states
• Preposition and selectively offload the 2015 MEB
• Sea Based Tactical Arrival (10-14 Days) and
  Assembly (72 Hrs)
• Employs 2015 MEB in period of darkness (8-10 Hrs)
• accomplishes forcible entry operations as part
  of an ESF..
• not configured as part of assault echelon
  amphibious shipping.
• Is the MPF(F) CDD valid?
• Without MLP RFP by 31 Mar, new MPF(F) ICD
  required
• USMC position on POM-08 Shipbuilding Plan
• AE requirement remains firm
• Does not meet USMC Ao requirements
• Preserve shipbuilding numbers in the POM-08
  database

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Guidance

• PB-2008 is agreeable as currently constructed
• 2. Unified Naval position on the MPF(F) CDD
• 3. PR-09 assessment of expeditionary lift
  strategy
• Program changes could impact first three MPF(F)
  ships (LMSR(AP), T-AKE and MLP) and LPD-17 line
  shut down