Index

Title: Navy and Marines Corps Integration in Light of the Sea Dragon Concept

Subject: Sea Dragon, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (Experimental)

Author(s): Mark Barnhart (Faculty Advisor); Richard Selleck; Fred Padilla; Dave Davison; Mark Blaydes

DTIC Keywords: MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS, NAVAL OPERATIONS

Abstract: Navy and Marine Corps leaders recognize that the strategic environment will undergo significant changes as we move into the 21st century. In preparation for these changes, the Navy is exploring new command and control relationships, and the Marine Corps established Sea Dragon to experiment with emerging technologies, operational concepts, and new organizational structures. The objective of these innovative efforts is to create synergy through the development of a command and control doctrine that efficiently utilizes all of the assets of the Naval Expeditionary Task Force (NETF), and the development of new tactics, techniques and procedures for the employment of the Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) (MEU(SOC)). This paper will explore the potential employment of MEU(SOC)s, as envisioned in Sea Dragon, under the proposed command and control structure for NETFs. To gain an appreciation for the significance of these undertakings, this paper will discuss the Navy and Marine Corps' vision of the future strategic environment, provide a historical perspective of the development of previous doctrine and tactics, outline the initiatives of the Sea Dragon concept, and describe the proposed command and control relationships within the NETF. Finally, this paper will suggest Sea Dragon MEU(SOC) employment in seven different MEU(SOC) missions, in the context of the new NETF command and control framework.



Last updated 1998 Mar 10