// UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND NEXT-GEN WARFARE TERM
Distributed Maritime Operations
Distributed Maritime Operations is a naval strategy that spreads ships, aircraft, and personnel across a wide area instead of clustering them in a single carrier strike group. This dispersal makes the force more difficult for an adversary to target and destroy, while still allowing the scattered units to coordinate and concentrate their firepower when needed.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) is a U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operational concept for projecting power and achieving sea control by distributing naval forces, platforms, and capabilities across a wide geographic area. This doctrine enhances fleet survivability and lethality against peer adversaries in an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environment by complicating enemy targeting solutions and enabling the aggregation of networked combat power from dispersed locations.
BACKGROUND
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. United States federal law establishes six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard, each assigned specific roles and operational domains. With the exception of the Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in peacetime, the services are organized under the Department of Defense (DoD).
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Distributed Lethality
- dispersed naval operations
- networked sea power
- DMO concept
- maritime force distribution
- Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO)
USAGE NOTE
DMO is a key doctrinal response to the advanced long-range sensor and weapon systems developed by peer adversaries like China and Russia.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Distributed Maritime Operations.
A U.S. Navy command responsible for developing and deploying the information technology and communication networks essential for Distributed Maritime Operations. NAVWAR leads Project Overmatch, the Navy's contribution to JADC2, which aims to create a robust network for connecting ships, aircraft, and unmanned systems.
A major defense contractor that develops key platforms and systems for DMO, including the F-35 aircraft, Aegis Combat System for integrated air and missile defense, and long-range anti-ship missiles (LRASM) that enable distributed lethality.
Develops critical sensors, networking systems, and effectors that form the backbone of DMO. Their products include the SPY-6 family of radars, SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles, and advanced communication systems for connecting disparate naval assets.
A leader in unmanned systems and airborne command and control, Northrop Grumman produces platforms vital to DMO such as the MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone and the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, which acts as a central networking and battle management node for the fleet.
A systems integrator and technology company heavily involved in developing autonomous maritime systems for the Navy. They are the prime contractor for the Sea Hunter and Seahawk Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), which are designed for long-endurance missions in a distributed fleet.
Specializes in secure, resilient communications, electronic warfare, and autonomous systems. L3Harris develops unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and the advanced datalinks required to connect and control a dispersed force in a contested electronic environment.
A defense technology company focused on artificial intelligence and autonomy. Anduril is developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and a software platform, Lattice OS, for command and control of distributed manned and unmanned assets across domains.
Produces key aviation platforms that extend the reach and persistence of naval forces. The MQ-25 Stingray, an unmanned aerial refueling tanker, and the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are crucial for sustaining air operations and surveillance over vast distances required by DMO.