Marines Study New Approaches for Forward Bases

Major military campaigns are often the genesis of important new technologies. The technical plastics industry emerged largely from WWII combat requirements, such as acrylic for cockpits. New composite approaches were developed for armor plate for the Iraq War. Now the Marines are looking at some interesting new ideas for the escalating fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Marine fighting units are operating in forward locations and want to avoid trucked-in supplies to the greatest extent possible.  The first Experimental Forward Operating Base (FOB) is now being established at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to evaluate technologies for producing potable water and energy on site. Phase One determined the baseline requirements of company-size (three rifle platoons or about 109 soldiers) and smaller units. The current phase evaluates existing commercial technologies to produce water on site to meet the Marines’ needs and increased power generation efficiency to sustain the base. Commercial, off-the-shelf technologies have the potential to increase the efficiency of Marine Corps forward-deployed forces, sustaining them over longer periods.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway and other Marine and Navy leaders will tour technical demonstrations by nearly 30 commercial vendors at the first Experimental Forward Operating Base Quantico on Friday.