LCF-24: a purpose-built MAGTF in the Caribbean
The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed as Littoral Combat Force-24 (LCF-24), has taken station in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility as the Navy shifts to a more flexible deployment model. SOUTHCOM described LCF-24 as “distinct from a standard Amphibious Ready Group/MEU deployment,” calling it “a purpose-built MAGTF engineered for distributed operations.”
LCF-24 comprises more than 1,300 Marines and Sailors and will operate from both shore-based nodes and aboard the amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale, SOUTHCOM said. The unit is certified to “execute a wide array of mission essential tasks, including but not limited to Quick Reaction Force operations such as embassy reinforcement and the tactical recovery of aircraft [and] personnel,” and will stand ready to support disaster relief activities.
Boxer ARG disaggregates; ships move to three theaters
The three-ship Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) dispersed after a Singapore port visit. USS Boxer departed Sembawang, Singapore, on May 30 following a 12-day stop for maintenance and resupply, a U.S. Navy spokesperson told TWZ. Ship spotters and public AIS data recorded Boxer transiting the Singapore Strait eastbound and entering the South China Sea.
Elements that had been associated with the Boxer ARG separated into different theaters: dock landing ship USS Comstock is operating in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility alongside the three-ship Tripoli ARG enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports, while amphibious transport dock USS Portland was last observed training in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command AOR.
Central Command reported that U.S. forces have redirected 97 commercial vessels and disabled four since the start of the blockade, underscoring the operational activity in CENTCOM waters during the period in question.
Homecomings, maintenance, and training across the big-deck fleet
Not all amphibious ships are forward-deployed. USS Iwo Jima and the embarked 22nd MEU are heading home after an almost 10-month deployment in the SOUTHCOM AOR and were spotted off Topsail Beach, North Carolina. USS San Antonio returned to Norfolk in late April, while USS Fort Lauderdale remains in the Caribbean to support LCF-24 and Operation Southern Spear.
Other large-deck amphibious ships are in various states of maintenance and preparation: USS Kearsarge is in New Orleans for Sail 250 after completing landing deck certifications earlier this year; USS Makin Island finished Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) on May 28 as it prepares for a future deployment; USS Essex returned to San Diego after a visit for L.A. Fleet Week; and USS America, USS Bataan, and USS Wasp are or have recently been in maintenance.
Maritime interdiction rehearsals and on-deck activity
SOUTHCOM released imagery and described a Maritime Interdiction Operation Full Mission Profile rehearsal involving a Maritime Raid Force assigned to Littoral Combat Force-24. The command tweeted visuals of Marines approaching a UH-1Y Venom assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced) during the rehearsal, which was described as taking place aboard a San Antonio-class ship.
Those rehearsals, alongside Fort Lauderdale’s presence in the Caribbean, reflect the emphasis SOUTHCOM placed on tailored, distributed operations and readiness for embassy reinforcement, personnel recovery, and disaster response.
How SOUTHCOM, CENTCOM, and INDOPACOM are positioned
- SOUTHCOM: Has accepted LCF-24 as a forward-deployed, distributed-capable MAGTF operating from shore nodes and Fort Lauderdale; it is explicitly positioned for quick reaction, recovery, and disaster relief tasks.
- CENTCOM: Is receiving amphibious assets diverted from other ARGs to enforce a maritime blockade, with CENTCOM reporting 97 commercial vessels redirected and four disabled during that operation.
- INDOPACOM: Is hosting elements of the amphibious fleet in training and transits — USS Portland was last seen training in the INDOPACOM AOR, and USS Boxer transited into the South China Sea after leaving Singapore.
The LCF deployment appears to be the first concrete example of the Navy’s “tailored deployments” approach in action — a model Adm. Caudle described as a way to “present forces to allow me to do more with less.” Whether LCF-24 will be a template for wider adoption across the amphibious force remains the central operational question: the current pattern shows amphibious ships and embarked MEUs spreading across SOUTHCOM, CENTCOM, and INDOPACOM to meet specific mission sets, but only time will show if the model becomes routine.
Original reporting: https://www.twz.com/sea/littoral-combat-force-takes-up-station-in-caribbean-under-navys-new-deployment-concept
