Defense Science Board Task Force On Sea Basing PDF Download

Sea basing is an operational concept that will enable naval and joint forces to meet future challenges posed by adaptive, asymmetric adversaries, maturing technologies and anti-access strategies. At the heart of the concept are "afloat bases," where forces, their logistics and other support reside in a secure, network and flexible environment, supported by improved sealift capability for the joint force. Sea basing has attracted increased attention recently: for instance, the Defense Science Board Task Force on Sea Basing called the Joint Sea Base a "critical future joint military capability" for the United States, highlighted the importance of sea basing as a force projection means, and recommended applying new resources towards achievement. Does this operational concept truly have strategic significance or is it merely the next logical extension of expeditionary maneuver warfare? While the concepts underlying sea basing are becoming clearer, its political-military influence on the National Security Strategy and potential ramifications for U.S. diplomacy are not as evident. This paper will analyze and evaluate whether this concept will have relevance in supporting the national security strategy.