February 27, 2024
Defense Primer: Navy Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO)
Concept
Introduction
• Using resilient communication links and networking
Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) is the operating
technologies to knit the resulting widely dispersed force
concept of the Department of the Navy (or DON, which
of manned and unmanned ships and aircraft into a
includes the Navy and Marine Corps) for using U.S. naval
coordinated battle force that can withstand and adapt to
(i.e., Navy and Marine Corps) forces in combat operations
enemy attacks on Navy communications and networks.
against an adversary, particularly China, that has substantial
capabilities for detecting and attacking U.S. Navy surface
One observer writing about DMO (see Filipoff in the Other
ships with anti-ship missiles and other weapons. An issue
Resources box below) states that “[Navy] explanations of
for Congress is whether Congress has sufficient information
DMO contain several defining traits that have consistently
about DMO to assess its merits, and whether DON has
featured in the Navy’s public definitions of the concept.
adequately aligned its programs and budget with DMO.
They include the massing and convergence of fires from
distributed forces, complicating adversary targeting and
Terminology: Operating Concept
decision-making, and networking effects across platforms
An operating concept is a general idea for how to use
and domains.”
certain military forces (in this case, U.S. naval forces) to
conduct operations, particularly in combat situations. An
Other U.S. Military Service
operating concept can support the implementation of a
Operating Concepts
strategy or war plan for fighting a specific conflict, and the
Other U.S. military services have operating concepts for
tactics used by individual military units (such as Navy ships
conducting their own operations in potential future
and aircraft) can reflect an operating concept.
conflicts. The Air Force concept is Agile Combat
Employment (ACE), and the Army concept is Multi-
DMO: A Brief Description
Domain Operations (MDO). Within DON, the Marine
A 2022 document from the Chief of Naval Operations
Corps has a concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base
refers to DMO as “the Navy’s foundational operating
Operations (EABO) that is complementary to DMO. The
concept.” (Chief of Naval Operations, Navigation Plan
services’ operating concepts have certain elements in
2022, p. 8.) DON has not released a detailed unclassified
common, including increased use of unmanned systems and
description of DMO. Statements by DON officials indicate
the use of communications and networking technology to
that a key aim of DMO is to improve the ability of U.S.
knit dispersed units together into coordinated battle forces.
naval forces to counter China’s maritime anti-access/area-
For more on these concepts, see the CRS Products box
denial (A2/AD) systems (i.e., its capabilities for detecting
below.
and attacking U.S. Navy surface ships and aircraft) and
thereby permit U.S. naval forces to operate effectively
Some Navy Acquisition Programs
during a conflict with China in waters that are within range
Associated with DMO
of China’s A2/AD systems. Key features of DMO appear to
Some examples of Navy acquisition programs that appear
include the following:
associated with DMO include the following:
• Dispersing Navy units over a larger area within the
• Programs for acquiring longer-ranged weapons, such as
theater of operations, so as to make it harder for an
the Maritime Strike Tomahawk (a new anti-ship variant
adversary to detect and target Navy units, while still
of the Tomahawk cruise missile) and the Long-Range
permitting Navy units to support one another and
Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
concentrate their fires on adversary targets.
• The Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV), which is
• Spreading the Navy’s sensors and weapons across a
to be equipped with a Vertical Launch System (VLS) for
wider array of ships and aircraft, so as to reduce the
storing and firing anti-ship missiles and other weapons.
fraction of the Navy’s sensors and weapons that would
LUSVs are intended to act as adjunct missile magazines
be lost due to the destruction of any one Navy ship or
for manned Navy surface combatants.
aircraft (i.e., avoid “putting too many eggs into one
basket”).
• The Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV),
which is to be equipped with radars or other sensors.
• Making greater use of longer-ranged weapons,
MUSVs are intended to help form a distributed sensor
unmanned vessels, and unmanned aircraft in support of
network for supporting Navy operations.
the previous two points.
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Defense Primer: Navy Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) Concept
• The light replenishment oiler (TAOL) shipbuilding
• To help implement DMO, some observers have
program for building a new class of smaller oilers.
suggested adding missile batteries to ships that currently
TAOLs are intended to enhance the Navy’s ability to
do not have them, such as amphibious or auxiliary ships,
provide fuel and supplies to Navy ships that are
or arming Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) with missiles
operating in a more distributed manner across a wider
that have longer ranges than the missiles that LCSs
sea area.
currently carry. What are the relative merits of these
proposals?
• The Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program for building
a class of smaller amphibious ships. The LSM program
CRS Products
is central to implementing EABO.
CRS In Focus IF11409, Defense Primer: Army Multi-Domain
For more on some of these programs, see the CRS Products
Operations (MDO), by Andrew Feickert.
box below.
CRS Report RL33153, China Naval Modernization: Implications
for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress,
Potential Issues for Congress
by Ronald O'Rourke. (This report discusses China’s maritime
Potential oversight issues for Congress regarding DMO
A2/AD systems.)
include but are not necessarily limited to the following:
CRS Report R45757, Navy Large Unmanned Surface and
•
Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald
Does Congress have adequate information from the
O'Rourke. (This report discusses the LUSV and MUSV
Navy about DMO to assess its merits? Has the Navy
programs.)
provided Congress a classified report describing DMO
in detail? Should the Navy release an unclassified
CRS In Focus IF11674, Navy Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL)
description of DMO?
(Previously Next-Generation Logistics Ship [NGLS]) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
• What analyses did the Navy conduct that led to the
CRS Report R46374, Navy Medium Landing Ship (LSM)
Navy’s adoption of DMO as its foundational operating
(Previously Light Amphibious Warship [LAW]) Program:
concept? To what degree have these analyses been
Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke. (This
confirmed by Navy exercises?
report discusses both the LSM program and the EABO
concept.)
• Is DMO adequately coordinated with the Air Force’s
ACE concept and the Army’s MDO concept? What

steps are the services taking to coordinate their
Other Resources
concepts?
Dmitry Filipoff, “Fighting DMO, Pt. 1: Defining Distributed
• Are DON budgets and programs adequately aligned
Maritime Operations and the Future of Naval Warfare,”
with DMO? Does Congress have sufficient information
Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC),
about DMO to assess this question? What implications
February 23, 2023. (Part 1 of a 10-part series on DMO.)
might DMO have for Navy shipbuilding and weapon
Sam LaGrone, “PACFLEET CO Paparo Talks Combat
acquisition programs, and for the associated
Logistics, Chinese Coercion,” USNI News, February 14
shipbuilding and weapon-manufacturing industrial
(updated February 16), 2023.
bases?
Harlan Ullman, “Are There Flaws in the US Navy’s
•
Distributed Maritime Operations?” Defense News, January 23,
To what degree might the Navy’s ability to implement
2023.
DMO be constrained over the next 5 to 10 years by
Tom Clarity, “Distribute DMO to Tactical Commanders,” U.S.
limits on the number of long-range weapons in the
Navy’s inventory? Under current Navy plans
Naval Institute Proceedings, January 2023.
for
procuring new weapons, how quickly would any such
Bryan McGrath, “Carrier Air Power Is Essential To
constraints be eased?
Distributed Maritime Operations,” 19FortyFive, July 25, 2022.
Robbin Laird, “Working Synergy Between DMO and Agile
• What are the technical challenges and risks of the
Combat Employment: The Logistics Dimension,” Defense.info,
communications and networking technology needed for
July 15, 2022.
DMO? Does DMO adequately account for the
Edward Lundquist, “DMO is Navy’s Operational Approach to
possibility of wartime degradation in the network due to
Winning the High-End Fight at Sea,” Seapower, February 2,
enemy attacks?
2021.
•
Kevin Eyer and Steve McJessy, “Operationalizing Distributed
One observer writing about DMO (see Filipoff in the
Maritime Operations,” Center for International Maritime
Other Resources box at the end of this In Focus) states:
“Warfighting concepts can be abused, acting as little
Security (CIMSEC), March 5, 2019.
more than bumper stickers attached to initiatives in
service of preconceived interests.” How much risk is

there of this occurring with DMO?
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
IF12599
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Defense Primer: Navy Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) Concept


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12599 · VERSION 1 · NEW

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