Marine Corps considers future cargo preposition ships

Marine Corps considers future cargo preposition ships    The U.S. Marine Corps plans to start replacing its cargo prepositioning vessel fleet in 2009 with ships that will offer it a “sea base” capability.
   “This enhanced sea base will minimize limitations imposed by reliance on overseas shore-based support, maximize the ability of the naval elements of the joint force to conduct combat operations from the maritime domain, and enable the transformed joint force to exploit our nation’s asymmetric advantage of our seapower dominance,” said Gen. Michael W. Hagee, commandant of the Marine Corps, in recent testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.
   The Marine Corps’ leases on the current five (T-AK) prepositioning ships begin to expire in 2009. The Marine Corps wants to step up development of its so-called “Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future)” or MPF(F) from fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2007. During fiscal years 2005-2009, the Marine Corps will develop its shipbuilding plans for three MPF(F) ships and the advanced construction for an MPF(F) aviation variant, Hagee told Senate lawmakers March 10.
   Hagee said the new MPF(F) ships will offer capabilities that the current prepositioning fleet cannot, such as at-sea arrival and assembly of units, direct support to amphibious assault forces, long-term, sea-based sustainment of the landing force; and at-sea reconstitution and redeployment of forces.