EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
Introduction 
This report is being submitted as an NCEL contribution to the OP- 
603 sponsored project, "Relationship of War-at-Sea to Warfare Ashore," 
for the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval Postgraduate 
School. Investigation centers on feasibility of floating bases as a 
viable alternative to diminishing U.S. foreign basing assets. The study 
is based in part on the 1988 report of the President's Commission on 
Integrated Long-Term Strategy, "Discriminate Deterrence." The CILTS 
report provides strategic factors and threat criteria from which to 
determine effective basing needs and the future security environment as 
context for the problem situation. 
Early studies at NCEL (1970-71) into the feasibility of large buoy- 
ant platforms, were identified by the acronym, MOBS, to indicate "Mobile 
Ocean Basing System." Now, to emphasize design flexibility and system 
optimization through modularity in the present investigation, this 
report designates "MOBS" as "Modularized Ocean Basing System." 
In parallel with the current MOBS study, NCEL draws upon the same 
laboratory resources to prepare an information package for OP-403 
(Logistics). This package is intended specifically for briefing the 
Chief of Naval Operations in anticipation of a scheduled executive 
decision conference as described in the CNO letter dated 22 May 1989 
(Appendix A). This effort, in cooperation with other activities, is 
identified as "Ocean Station Project" (OSP). 
Objectives and Rationale 
The following study objectives define the thrust of this investi- 
gation: 
