Ships/Navy: Maritime prepositioning force

Sea Power, Jan 2002

BRIEFING: The Maritime Propositioning Force (MPF) is divided into three maritime propositioning ship squadrons (MPSs), each under the operational command of a Navy captain. MPS-1 includes four MPS ships and one MPF (Enhanced) (MPF (E)) ship and operates in the Mediterranean Sea. MPS-2, composed of five MPS ships and one MPF(E) ship based at Diego Garcia, operates in the Indian Ocean. MPS-3 has four MPS ships assigned and is based at Guam and Saipan in the Western Pacific. Other propositioning ships, including Combat Propositioning Ships (CPSs) supporting the Army and Logistics Propositioning Ships (LPSs) supporting the Navy, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Air Force, are assigned to the same geographic region and fall under the responsibility of the MPS squadron commander. All of the large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships in the Combat Propositioning Ship force fall under the responsibility of the Afloat Propositioning Ship Squadron Four (APS-4) commander headquartered in Diego Garcia.

In the 1980s, eight relatively new merchant ships were converted for the maritime propositioning program, while five other MPF ships were built from the keel up. Three ship-operating companies operate the MPS ships under a unique 25-year time charter to MSC. Each MPS squadron carries enough equipment to support the sustainment and assault follow-on requirements of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of about 17,600 Marines for approximately 30 days. The ships can off-load equipment at piers-or offshore-using onboard Navy lighterage. Although the ships have no forcible-entry capability, MPS assets complement naval amphibious forces.

Iraq's 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait validated the propositioning concept. Forward-deployed MPS equipment and stores provided a Marine Expeditionary Force with the sole capability to protect Saudi Arabia only seven days after the squadron left Diego Garcia. The Marines were the first heavy U.S. combat force in-theater for Desert Shield/Storm. Following the Persian Gulf hostilities, MPS loads were reconstituted and loading plans revised to make equipment more accessible. The ships' cargoes are continually modernized and upgraded.

Since Desert Shield/Storm, MPS ships have deployed for a number of contingency and humanitarian-relief operations. The five MPF ships of MPS-2 returned to the Persian Gulf several times between 1994 and 1998 in response to Iraqi provocations. One additional ship-called a Maritime Propositioning Force (Enhanced) or MPF(E) ship-is being added to each MPS Squadron to support the U.S. Marine Corps' at-sea propositioning program.

MPF (ENHANCED) PROGRAM

BRIEFING: MSC began ship-acquisition management of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (Enhanced) program, also called the MPF(E) program, in February 1997. Funded through the National Defense Sealift Fund, the MPF(E) program is intended to meet the U.S. military's prepositioning requirements of the 21st century by acquiring three medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships with enough space to increase the carrying capacity of the Maritime Prepositioning Force.

Since the MPF's inception in the mid-1980s, U.S. sealift requirements have grown to require at-sea prepositioned Navy Mobile Construction Battalion equipment, fleet hospital equipment, expeditionary airfield materials, and a headquarters unit-support set. Other prepositioned materials/equipment include M1 At tanks and HMMWVs ("Humvees"). This growth in equipment load has resulted in a 20 percent displacement of equipment and supplies from the current MPF ships. Contracts to convert and operate two commercial container ships were awarded in 1997 and 1998. The first ship, MV Tarago, was renamed USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin (T-AK 3015) and deployed in June 2000; the second ship, GTS Bazaliya, will be renamed USNS Lance CpL Roy M. Wheat (T-AK 3016) and is scheduled to deploy in 2002. USNS Soderman, formerly an Afloat Prepositioning Force large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ship, was converted to USNS Gunnery Sgt. Fred W. Stockham and deployed in July 2001.

The MPF(E) contracts awarded to date have used an innovative process with one prime contractor performing both conversion of an existing ship and five years of the ship's operation and maintenance.