Maritime Trade Defense: Establishing the Joint Force Maritime Trade Component Commander.

摘要

Future war plans must prepare operational commanders to defend maritime trade during high-intensity conflicts against near-peer competitors. Improvements in technology and weapons proliferation also require leaders to consider area denial when executing the operational functions of sustainment and protection. These challenges are particularly true with respect to maritime trade defense in the Pacific Command area of responsibility, where commanders may be required to deploy and sustain forces over vast distances and against a multiplicity of threats. In a high-intensity conflict or an access-denied environment, geographic combatant commanders must protect and defend maritime trade by creating a dedicated Joint Force Maritime Trade Component Commander (JFMTCC) to oversee strategic deployment and sustainment operations. The JFMTCC will give the Combatant Commander a centralized command and control structure for joint maritime trade defense; improve unity of effort for multinational forces, other governmental agencies, and nongovernmental agencies; and provide unity of command for the protection of ports in hostile areas of operation.