Exploring the reduction of fuel consumption for ship-to-shore connectors of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Abstract

At the beginning of the 21st century, the United States Marine Corps (USMC) took a leading role in the war on terror. The traditionally amphibious force deployed massive amounts of troops and supplies in two major land wars of occupation. Now, as the USMC winds down its participation in the conflicts, it must seek to return to its roots as a primarily amphibious force without the benefits of a land-based operation. Tomorrows battles will likely begin from the littorals in and around the coastal regions of the developing world. The Marine Corps must prepare itself to operate without the benefit of readily available fossil fuels and supplies shipped in by trucks or home-based supply lines. As demonstrated in the current conflicts, the threats of IEDs and the expenses of obtaining fossils fuels make it imperative that the Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) of the future must be able to bring its supplies with them or have them delivered by readily available and close-by alternate means. This research will evaluate the current landing doctrine of a notional MEB and its associated ship-to-shore connectors. It will analyze potential changes in doctrine with the goal of reducing energy footprint while maintaining mission effectiveness.