The Pros And Cons Of Maritime Prepositioning

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Force Projection – The ability to project the military instrument of national power from the United States or another theater in response to requirements for military operations. As global competition continues to mature and expand, the Marine Corps’ Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) provides Combatant Commanders with a credible combat force, through flexibility and increased capacity, which continues to afford a competitive advantage for the MAGTF across the range of military operations. The MPF, supplemented by fly-in echelons or forces already in the theater of operations, completes the rapid response capability triad. Together, these capabilities, able to present themselves in multiple geographies across time and space, create additional dilemmas for our …show more content…

The terms austere and MPF offload are generally not used together. United States Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM), supported by Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC), Joint Task Force-Port Opening (JTF-PO) is one capability set which can provide enablers to open ports or to aid host nations with receiving MPF vessels. The seaport opening element of JTF-PO creates added operational reach and maneuverability for commanders and unpredictability for adversaries. JTF-PO enablers can rapidly man an existing seaport, repair a degraded seaport, or conduct Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) if seaports are unavailable or without a supported infrastructure. If sea lines of communications permit, MPF vessels are able to conduct in-stream offload, via JLOTS, in a semi-contested or contested environment. The MPF presents more dynamic and flexible options for commanders than fixed prepositioning sites. Unlike static sites, the MPF is capable of maneuvering around the area of operations to respond to emerging situations, threats, or operational