Flood the Zone: III Marine Expeditionary Force’s Mobility Mandate – War on the Rocks

Report on III Marine Expeditionary Force Mobility and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the critical mobility deficiencies of the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) in the Indo-Pacific and frames them within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The force’s inability to maneuver effectively, particularly by surface, presents a significant risk not only to regional security but also to the foundational stability required to achieve key SDGs. Enhancing the III MEF’s mobility through practical, near-term investments is essential for maintaining peace (SDG 16), fostering global partnerships (SDG 17), and building resilient infrastructure (SDG 9). The proposed solutions offer a cost-effective pathway to bolster deterrence and support sustainable development across the region.

Analysis of Current Mobility Posture and SDG Implications

H3: Existing Asset Deficiencies

The III MEF’s current mobility toolkit is insufficient to meet the demands of a stable and secure Indo-Pacific, thereby undermining the conditions necessary for sustainable development. The primary platforms are inadequate for the geographic and strategic challenges.

• C-130J Hercules: While a capable airlift asset, its reliance on established runways makes it vulnerable and limits its utility in austere archipelagic environments. This constrains rapid response capabilities, including for humanitarian crises, impacting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• USNS Guam: As the sole high-speed surface transit vessel, its capacity is finite. Moving a full formation requires weeks, a timeline that is untenable in a crisis. This lack of scalable, rapid surface lift weakens the ability to enforce peace and justice, directly challenging the objectives of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

H3: The Littoral Maneuver Bridging Strategy: A Fragile Stopgap

A collection of interim surface assets provides temporary relief but lacks the programmatic stability needed for long-term regional security and partnership building. The precarious nature of these platforms threatens consistent engagement with partner nations, a core tenet of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

1. Stern Landing Vessels (SLV): Leased vessels from Hornbeck Offshore Services and Sea Transport Solutions have proven effective in exercises but face imminent funding expirations in 2025 and 2028, respectively. The loss of these platforms would create a significant capability gap.
2. Legacy and Experimental Craft: The availability of Navy Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1610s is limited, while commercially available LCU 2000s require new investment. New Ancillary Surface Craft are scheduled for delivery but lack dedicated funding for manning, training, and sustainment, risking their potential as tools for both security and disaster relief.
3. Commercial Charters: Temporary spot charters provide surge capacity but are not a sustainable solution for persistent presence and partnership, which are vital for achieving the SDGs.

Aligning Mobility Solutions with Sustainable Development

H3: Upholding Peace and Strengthening Institutions (SDG 16)

A credible, mobile military presence is a primary instrument of conflict prevention. By investing in a robust surface mobility fleet, the United States can deter aggression, thereby safeguarding the peace and stability that are prerequisites for all other forms of development. The ability to rapidly position forces assures allies and prevents conflicts that would devastate populations and erase development gains.

H3: Fostering Innovation and Partnerships (SDG 9 & SDG 17)

The challenge of mobility presents an opportunity to advance innovation and strengthen international partnerships. The proposed solutions directly support these goals.

• Industrial Cooperation: Building new shallow-draft vessels in allied shipyards (e.g., South Korea, Japan, Australia) would bolster partner economies, promote technology transfer, and enhance regional industrial capacity, aligning with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
• Enhanced Interoperability: Joint exercises such as Balikatan and Resolute Dragon, enabled by these mobility platforms, strengthen operational partnerships (SDG 17) and build collective security, creating a stable environment for economic and social progress.

A Strategic Portfolio for Near-Term and Long-Term Action

H3: Immediate Decisions Required (Through 2028)

To prevent a collapse of current capabilities and ensure continued support for regional stability, several funding decisions are urgent. These modest investments are critical for maintaining momentum towards achieving the SDGs.

1. Renew Charters: Commit funding to renew the charters for the Hornbeck SLV and essential pier-to-pier commercial vessels.
2. Secure New Leases: Program funds to charter commercially available Landing Craft Utility 2000s to fill immediate beach-access gaps.
3. Resource New Platforms: Allocate sustainment and training funds for the Ancillary Surface Craft to ensure they become operational upon delivery.
4. Commit to the Landing Ship Medium: Resource the first block of the purpose-built Landing Ship Medium in the 2026-2027 budget cycle to create a sustainable, long-term capability.

H3: A Sustainable Fleet Architecture (Beyond 2028)

A forward-looking strategy should focus on building a resilient and affordable fleet tailored to the Indo-Pacific. This approach supports long-term regional development by ensuring enduring stability.

• Offshore Vessel Conversions: Scale the proven model of converting commercial offshore service vessels into military-use platforms, providing a cost-effective and rapid acquisition pathway.
• New-Build Shallow-Draft Vessels: Continue building designs like the Sea Transport Solutions SLV in partner shipyards to create a scalable fleet that enhances allied industrial bases (SDG 9).
• Expansion of Ancillary Surface Craft: Grow the fleet of Marine-owned and operated Ancillary Surface Craft to provide an organic, persistent tactical mobility capability for day-to-day engagement and crisis response.

Conclusion: Investing in Mobility as an Investment in Sustainable Development

The mobility shortfalls of the III MEF are not merely a logistical concern; they represent a strategic vulnerability that threatens regional peace and the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals. The choice is between maintaining a credible presence that underwrites stability or accepting an absence that invites conflict and instability. By making practical, affordable investments in a diverse portfolio of surface lift platforms, the United States can secure its strategic interests while simultaneously contributing to a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable Indo-Pacific region. This is not a choice between defense spending and development, but an recognition that the former is essential to enabling the latter.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article’s central theme is maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region through military deterrence. It argues that a mobile and present U.S. Marine Corps can “prevent the fight.” This directly connects to the goal of promoting peaceful societies. The text states, “Without present, positioned, and ready U.S. forces, America cannot deter without fighting,” and “their very arrival may prevent the fight.” The focus on improving the operational effectiveness of the III Marine Expeditionary Force also relates to strengthening key national institutions responsible for security.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • The article is fundamentally about a critical infrastructure gap—the lack of sufficient maritime mobility platforms (surface lift). It calls for significant investment in building and acquiring new infrastructure, such as the “Landing Ship Medium,” “Stern Landing Vessel,” and “Ancillary Surface Craft.” The discussion on converting existing commercial vessels and building new designs in allied shipyards highlights a focus on industrial capacity and innovation. The text explicitly mentions priming “the pump for a more robust U.S. and partner nation industrial shift.”
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article advocates for a multi-stakeholder approach to solving the mobility problem. This includes partnerships between government entities (Marine Corps, Navy, Department of Defense), commercial companies (Hornbeck Offshore Services, Sea Transport Solutions), and international allies. The suggestion to build vessels in “U.S. partner yards — such as in South Korea, Japan, and Australia” is a clear example of fostering international partnerships to achieve a common goal, which would strengthen “allied industrial capacity and regional interoperability.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article’s entire premise of “deterrence” is aimed at preventing conflict and, by extension, violence. The goal is to “prevent the fight” through a credible military presence, which directly supports the objective of this target.
   • Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, in particular in developing countries, to build capacity at all levels to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime. While the context is a developed nation, the principle of strengthening a national institution (the U.S. Marine Corps) to prevent violence and maintain regional stability is directly applicable. The article is a detailed proposal for enhancing the capacity of this institution.
2. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure):
   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure…to support economic development and human well-being. The call to fund and build a fleet of various vessels (Landing Ship Medium, Ancillary Surface Craft, etc.) is a direct appeal to develop reliable and resilient infrastructure for strategic mobility.
   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable… The proposal to convert “existing offshore service vessels into beaching variants” is a form of retrofitting industrial assets for a new purpose, promoting resource efficiency.
   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… The article discusses experimenting with prototypes like the Stern Landing Vessels and Ancillary Surface Craft to gain “valuable lessons on integration, maneuverability, and sustainment,” which is a form of applied research to upgrade technological capabilities.
3. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article describes a system reliant on public-private partnerships, such as the charters with “Hornbeck Offshore Services” and “Sea Transport Solutions,” and contracts managed by the “Military Sealift Command.”
   • Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation. The suggestion to build ships in allied yards like those in “South Korea, Japan, and Australia” is a form of international cooperation to build industrial capacity and enhance technological interoperability.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 9 (Infrastructure and Industry):
   • Financial Investment: The article provides specific funding figures that can serve as indicators of investment in infrastructure. Examples include “$17 million in contract renewal” for the Hornbeck vessel, “$39 million” annually to charter six Landing Craft Utility 2000s, and “$3 million per vessel” in sustainment for Ancillary Surface Craft.
   • Number of Infrastructure Units: Progress can be measured by the number of vessels acquired or built. The article proposes specific numbers: “a fleet of six converted vessels,” “a dozen newly built shallow-draft stern landers,” and a fleet growing to “18 [Ancillary Surface Craft] vessels by FY2034.”
   • Industrial Production Rate: The article suggests an indicator for industrial capacity: producing new shallow-draft vessels “at a rate of two every 18 months.”
2. For SDG 16 (Peace and Strong Institutions):
   • Operational Readiness/Presence: While not a standard SDG indicator, within the context of the article, the primary measure of success is the ability to maintain presence. The number of available, mission-capable surface lift platforms for the III Marine Expeditionary Force serves as a direct indicator of the institution’s strength and its capacity to deter conflict.
   • Number of Joint Exercises: The article mentions exercises like “Balikatan, the Korea Marine Exercise Program, Iron Fist, and Resolute Dragon” as events that test and demonstrate capability. The successful execution of these exercises, enabled by the proposed mobility assets, can be an indicator of institutional effectiveness and cooperation aimed at maintaining peace.
3. For SDG 17 (Partnerships):
   • Number of Public-Private Partnerships: The number of active charters and contracts with commercial entities like Hornbeck Offshore Services and Sea Transport Solutions can be tracked as an indicator.
   • Number of International Industrial Collaborations: The number of allied nations (“South Korea, Japan, and Australia”) engaged in the shipbuilding and industrial efforts would be a direct measure of progress for this goal.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: warontherocks.com