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BRIEFING: The Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) is divided into three maritime prepositioning ship squadrons (MPSs), each under the operational command of a Navy captain. MPS-1 includes four MPS ships and one MPF (Enhanced) (MPF (E)) ship and operates in the Mediterranean Sea. MPS-2, composed of five MPS ships and one MPF(E) ship based at Diego Garcia, operates in the Indian Ocean. MPS-3 has four MPS ships assigned and is based at Guam and Saipan in the Western Pacific. Other prepositioning ships-including Combat Prepositioning Ships (CPSs) supporting the Army; and Logistics Prepositioning Ships (LPSs) supporting the Navy, the Defense Logistics Agency, and the Air Force-are assigned to the same geographic region and fall under the responsibility of the MPS squadron commander. All of the large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships in the Combat Prepositioning Ship force fall under the responsibility of the Afloat Prepositioning Ship Squadron Four (APS-4) commander headquartered in Diego Garcia.
In the 1980s, eight relatively new merchant ships were converted for the maritime prepositioning program, while five other MPF ships were built from the keel up. Three ship-operating companies operate the MPS ships...