Afloat Forward Operating Bases for Joint Special Operations Forces

Abstract

Abstract : The Afloat Forward Operating Base (AFOB) Concept: A Paradigm Shift in Force Planning. As the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld articulated in the recent Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), there has to be a paradigm shift in Force Planning that strengthens joint force operations, and concomitantly, causes the military apparatus to transform the joint team into a design that will answer the call of the challenges of the 21st Century threats. The National Security Strategy states the fact that Power Projection is and will remain an indispensable means of achieving and sustaining our position of Global Power dominance. The concept of Sea Basing being pursued by the Navy-Marine Corps Team, and the joint experimentation with the High Speed Vessel by the Army and Navy, are but two additional examples that testify to the focus on employment of national military element of power from the largest maneuver area in the world-the seas. For maximum effectiveness, Joint Special Operations Task Forces (JSOTF) need a dedicated Naval vessel to serve as a rapidly deployable, self-contained forward operating base which allows freedom of action, surprise, flexibility, and interoperability, while not being constrained by absence of host nation support, overflight/basing rights, and ever-increasing access denial strategies. Our ability to quickly and deliberately enforce the National Security Strategy through the use of force when deterrence fails is the forte of the Aircraft Carrier. The carrier-JSOTF team therefore remains an indispensable instrument of national power.