Creating A Coastal Riverine Force Operational Design For Multi Domain Operations

Coastal riverine operations are a significant part of US military history. From Washington crossing the Delaware to protecting major infrastructure in Iraq, coastal riverine forces (CRF) have had a definitive impact on outcomes of campaigns. This study will look at how the CRF can continue to contribute to US operations as we transition to Multi-Domain Operations. It will examine the current material status and capabilities of CRF, to include US Navy and US Army assets, and qualitatively apply these capabilities to the problem sets of Multi-Domain Operations. After the analysis of how the CRF can be incorporated into Multi-Domain Operations, this paper will build an operational framework for CRF utilizing the Joint Design Methodology. Once the framework has been established, it will be applied to two scenarios built for operations in the Baltics and Congo River Basin. The conclusion will discuss how effective the CRF was to the overall campaign in the scenario. It will close with recommendations for additional areas of research to further refine structure and utilization of Coastal Riverine Forces.