1. Marine Corps Transformational Concepts and Seabasing
James N. Strock
Deputy Director
Expeditionary Force Development Center
Marine Corps Combat Development Command
Quantico, VA 22134

2. Transformational Concepts
Centerpiece of Transformation:
Seabasing
Supporting Concepts:
Operational Maneuver From
The Sea
Ship-To-Objective Maneuver
Distributed Operations
Applied Coherently:
Threaten the breadth and depth of the littoral region
Combined with other Joint Forcible Entry forces, compel an adversary to either concentrate or disperse his forces.
Capitalizing on our Command of the Commons

3. Seabasing and Sea Base Defined
Seabasing, a national capability, is the overarching transformational operating concept for projecting and sustaining naval power and joint forces, which assures joint access by leveraging the operational maneuver of sovereign, distributed, and networked forces operating globally from the sea.
The seabase is an inherently maneuverable, scalable aggregation of distributed, networked platforms that enable the global power projection of offensive and defensive forces from the sea, and includes the ability to assemble, equip, project, support, and sustain those forces without reliance on land bases within the Joint Operations Area.

4. Seabasing…Delivering the Capability
FORCEnet
Strategic Airlift,
Strategic Sealift
Civil Reserve Air Fleet
Sea Base
Sea Strike
Advanced
Base
ESG
CONUS
CSG
OBJ
MPG
Reconstitute
High Speed Connectors
High Speed Strategic Sealift
Sea Shield
Joint Operating Area
A System of Systems

5. 2015 MEB Force Closure Strategic Lift Options
HSS
CRAF
C-17
Preferred for aircraft which can’t self-deploy
Reduces demand for strategic airlift
Lessens requirement for APOD/MOG
Most efficient means to transport PAX
Requires adequate APOD/MOG
At least 36 (747) sorties for MEB FIE & Naval Support Element
Allows rapid deployment of Adv Party & Naval Support Element
Support capabilities for self-deploying aircraft
At least 42 C-17 sorties required
Up to 170 C-17 sorties without HSS

6. Key Seabasing Capabilities
Maneuverable, distributed, networked platforms
At-sea arrival, assembly and transfer of materiel and personnel
Selective Offload
The mobility of the sea base extends our range of potential landing areas, creating an unprecedented dilemma for our adversaries in preparing his defenses. The distributed and networked nature of the platforms expands the breadth and depth of the sea base and enhances the capabilities of the sea shield.
Selective offload seeks to incorporate warehousing technologies into future ships. This concept also includes the idea of focused packaging at the first step of the distribution process minimizing the need for subsequent handling and repackaging at various stops on the way to the sea base.
At-sea arrival and transfer of heavy cargo in heavy sea states. Experimentation and work ongoing to develop new transfer technologies such as gyro stabilized cranes. Goal is to be able to transfer 20 foot equivalent (TEU) containers from ship to ship in high sea states. This includes transfer of containers between vessels of varying sizes and displacements.
Sea Basing greatly enhances our capability to integrate fires and maneuver that enables the transition from Operational Maneuver from the Sea to Ship to Objective Maneuver. Our increased connectivity and range provides a higher-level capability of combined arms.
On the Move (OTM), Over the Horizon (OTH) communications to enable rapid, distributed operations by land, air, and sea forces in a non-contiguous, expanded battle space. Science and technology solutions being studied and developed.
Logistical and Supply support from the sea base will rely on the uninterrupted flow of data on all classes of supply and maintenance from tactical units to and from the sea base back through the supply pipeline to CONUS. With virtually no supply dumps ashore, sea-based tactical forces will critically depend on the supply system’s reliability.
Over-the-horizon and on-the-move communications
Enable and sustain forcible entry and sustained operations ashore
Distributed, collaborative operational logistics planning and total asset visibility

7. Key to Emerging Joint Sea Base
MPF(Future)
Key to Emerging Joint Sea Base
MPF(F) is integral part of Joint Sea Base
Composition and purpose of Sea Base is situation dependent
Sea Base consists of a range of naval assets
Supported by air and surface connectors

8. MPF(F) Concepts of Employment MPF(F) Independent Ops
MPF(F) + 1 ESG
14 days Threshold,10 days Objective
Limited force protection (no Sea Shield)
Permissive ops: humanitarian assistance, etc.
MEB ACE JSF require alternate basing
14 days Threshold, 10 days Objective
ESG forward presence = speed of response
Allows the establishment of Sea Shield to protect MPF(F)
Synergy of MPF(F) and ESG will enhance surface assault timelines

9. Connectors Inter-theater Intra-Theater Assault Connectors
CONUS to Advance Base / sea base
Fills the Strategic Airlift gap
Reduces competition for C-17s
Saves time in MEB FIE closure
Enables the “Decisive” capability set (20-30 day)
Intra-Theater
Forwarding Operating Base to / from sea base
Self-deployable
Sustainment & reconstitution
Enables “Rapid” capability set (10-14 day)
Assault Connectors
Sea base to objective
Land surface assault Bn in one 8-10 hour period of darkness

10. Potential Surface Connectors Organic or Intra-Theater
Inter-Theater
HSS 2015

11. Potential Air Connectors
VADM Moore will speak to this slide

12. Marine Corps Transformational Concepts and Seabasing
Questions ?