Naval Operations in the Littoral

s the United States Navy shifts its fundamental war fighting strategy away from blue-water to brown-water operations, it will be presented with a fluid and a dynamic battlefield unlike any it has faced since the early 1950s. This battlefield will demand the creation of innovative ideas and war fighting principles for the successful employment of Naval Expeditionary Forces and the maintenance of critical sea lines of communications in support of our national military strategy and military objectives. The Navy white paper, ＂Forward...From the Sea＂ the Marine Corps concept paper, ＂Sea Dragon＂, and the proposed Navy white paper ＂2020 Vision: A Navy for the 21st Century＂ attempt to exploit the inherent advantages derived from combining operational maneuvers from the sea and superior U.S. technology in achieving success within the battlefields of the littorals. However, this visualization of the battle space may be too limited and should be broadened to include all facets of operations including sustainment issues in a joint service environment. This study investigates the scope and limitation of naval operations in a supporting role and as a sustaining force for the initial insertion of ground units in the near coastal environment. Specifically, it examines the feasibility and acceptability of expanding naval operations into the rear-area sustainment environment of Army ground troops.

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