Developing a Concept of Employment for Marine Corps ULS-A from a DOTmLPF-P Perspective

Abstract

The U.S. Marine Corps is adapting to conduct operations in contested, littoral environments. The 38th Commandant’s Planning Guidance and Force Design 2030 initiative call for deploying unmanned logistics capabilities to support Expeditionary Advance Base Operations (EABO) and Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO). As warfare rapidly evolves, successfully deploying and sustaining the operations of new weapon systems and technologies is critical, as traditional logistics methods become less viable. With logistics now considered the “pacing function” of warfare in this scenario, the inability to sustain operations in contested, littoral areas of operation will create a significant vulnerability for the Marine Corps if these new systems are not integrated into the force properly. This thesis examines the lessons learned from initial employment of the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aerial System (TRUAS), Unmanned Logistics System – Air (ULS-A), and other unmanned aerial systems. It analyzes these lessons through the well-established lens of Doctrine, Organization, Training, materiel, Leadership and education, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy (DOTmLPF-P). Based on this analysis, the research offers recommendations for the Marine Corps’ ULS-A programs, specifically the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle–Expeditionary Logistics (MARV-EL) and Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) variants, focusing on their concepts of employment from the DOTmLPF-P perspective.