Amphibious Ready Group

Amphibious Ready Group
Public domain · source
Name	Amphibious Ready Group
Country	United States
Branch	United States Navy
Type	Expeditionary naval force
Role	Power projection, amphibious assault, crisis response
Size	Typically ~3–6 ships and ~1,800–5,000 personnel
Garrison	Various
Notable commanders	See individual ship commanders

Amphibious Ready Group is a United States Navy naval force centered on amphibious warfare and expeditionary operations, designed to project United States military power ashore and support United States Marine Corps forcible entry, contingency response, and humanitarian assistance. An ARG normally embarks a Marine Expeditionary Unit and operates in coordination with Carrier Strike Group, Expeditionary Strike Group, and joint force headquarters to conduct Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and crisis response missions. ARGs integrate surface combatants, amphibious shipping, aviation, and logistics to support Amphibious assault, noncombatant evacuation operations, and maritime security tasks.

Overview

ARGs are organized around a nucleus of amphibious warships, embarked Marine forces, and aviation assets, enabling power projection across littoral regions and expeditionary bases. They provide commanders with a scalable headquarters for operations ranging from Operation Tomodachi humanitarian assistance to high-end contested amphibious assault planning tied to Third Fleet and Fifth Fleet campaigns. ARGs operate under theater commanders such as United States Pacific Command and United States Central Command and coordinate with allied formations like Royal Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Royal Australian Navy task groups.

Composition and Organization

A typical ARG includes three principal ship types: an Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, an San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, and a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship or similar vessels, often accompanied by surface combatants such as Arleigh Burke-class destroyer escorts or Ticonderoga-class cruiser air defense. The embarked Marine unit is usually a Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) or Marine Expeditionary Unit with command elements from I Marine Expeditionary Force, II Marine Expeditionary Force, or III Marine Expeditionary Force. Logistic support and medical capabilities may draw on Military Sealift Command assets and coordination with United States Army prepositioned stocks. The ARG command and control architecture links to United States European Command liaison cells, NATO coordination centers, and joint task force staffs.

Aircraft and Equipment

Aviation assets embarked include Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors, Boeing CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters, and Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion where available, as well as Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and Boeing AV-8B Harrier II historically or Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II variants embarked for amphibious aviation strike. Surface connectors include Landing Craft Air Cushion and Landing Craft Utility for ship-to-shore movement, while well decks accommodate LCU 1700-class craft and Mk 8 Combatant Craft for special operations. ARGs integrate sensors and defensive suites drawn from AN/SPY-1 radar-equipped escorts and electronic warfare systems like AN/SLQ-32, and may coordinate with MQ-9 Reaper or MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned assets for reconnaissance.

Operations and Deployment

ARGs have conducted forward deployments in regions including the Persian Gulf, South China Sea, Red Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, participating in named operations such as Operation Provide Comfort style humanitarian missions and contingency evacuations comparable to Operation Frequent Wind. They execute mission sets including amphibious assault, maritime interdiction, noncombatant evacuation operations (as in responses near Beirut and Monrovia), disaster relief akin to Hurricane Katrina support, and partnership-building exercises with navies like Royal Canadian Navy and Republic of Korea Navy. ARGs routinely integrate with carrier, submarine, and coalition assets during deployments directed by fleet commanders like United States Sixth Fleet or United States Seventh Fleet.

Training and Exercises

Preparation for ARG deployments involves large-scale exercises such as Exercise Cobra Gold, RIMPAC, BALTOPS, and Talisman Sabre, where ARGs coordinate amphibious landings, logistics, and joint command functions with forces from Australian Defence Force, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Royal Thai Navy, and Royal Netherlands Navy. Certification cycles include Composite Training Unit Exercise-style evaluations, pre-deployment workups under Fleet Readiness Training Plan, and live-fire littoral maneuvers with assets from United States Special Operations Command and Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation teams. Interoperability drills emphasize combined arms integration with Army Ranger insertions, United States Air Force close air support, and Coast Guard maritime security operations.

Historical Development

The ARG concept traces lineage to United States Navy amphibious warfare principles from World War II island campaigns such as Battle of Iwo Jima and Battle of Okinawa, evolving through Cold War doctrines exemplified by Fleet Marine Force restructuring and Korean War amphibious lessons like Battle of Inchon. Post‑Vietnam reforms, the Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit concept emerged during the 1960s–1980s with platforms including Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship and Austin-class amphibious transport dock, later modernized by Wasp-class and San Antonio-class designs. ARG employment in the 1990s and 2000s included operations linked to Operation Desert Storm and Somalia intervention contingencies, influencing doctrine codified by Naval Doctrine Publication updates.

Future Concepts and Modernization

Modernization initiatives focus on integrating F-35B Lightning II operations, accelerating distributed maritime operations concepts, and adopting unmanned systems such as MQ-25 Stingray refueling UAVs and unmanned surface vessels trialed with Office of Naval Research programs. Hull and aviation upgrades involve future amphibious designs like the America-class amphibious assault ship (Flight II) and experimentation with light amphibious warship concepts to enhance Pacific theater operational reach. Doctrine development aligns ARG capabilities with Joint All-Domain Command and Control objectives, enhanced logistics via Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations planning, and interoperability with partners in Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and NATO frameworks.

Category:United States Navy amphibious units