Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF)

A US program that keeps loaded cargo ships forward-deployed so a Marine Air-Ground Task Force can fly in personnel and marry up with its equipment and 30 days of supplies already afloat. The Maritime Prepositioning Force operates in Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadrons (MPSRONs) under Military Sealift Command, historically based near Diego Garcia, Guam/Saipan, and the Mediterranean. Each squadron’s roll-on/roll-off and container ships carry vehicles, ammunition, fuel, and water, cutting the response time for a Marine Expeditionary Brigade from weeks of strategic sealift to days.