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Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office

Headquarters Marine Corps

About ExFOB
Created by the Commandant in 2009, the United States Marine Corps' Experimental Forward Operating Base (ExFOB) brings together stakeholders from across the Marine Corps requirements, acquisition, and technology development communities in a dynamic process to quickly evaluate and deploy technologies that reduce our need for "liquid logistics" today, and to establish requirements for tomorrow. ExFOB guides the development of new requirements documents and informs Marine Corps investment decisions, taking new capabilities "from concept to combat."

ExFOB Process
Twice a year, industry is invited to ExFOB to demonstrate off-the-shelf technologies with potential to address current material and non-material capability gaps identified in the Marine Corps E2W2 ICD. Promising technologies are then put into the hands of Marines for extended user evaluation under combat and training conditions. User evaluation results inform requirements development and ultimately lead to procurement and fielding of systems that close these gaps, resulting in a more combat-effective fighting force.


Impact

Through the ExFOB process, the Marine Corps brings energy efficient technology "from-concept-to-combat." To date, ExFOB has:

  • Reviewed 280+ technologies and evaluated 75+ systems at ExFOB
  • Purchased and deployed 11 different technologies to Afghanistan 
  • Transitioned 4 Technologies to Programs of Record
  • Led the requirements development of battlefield hybrid power
  • Collaborated with industry to develop high-efficiency flexible solar and small unit water purification systems
  • Integrated and evaluated fuel-saving auxiliary power units for combat logistics vehicles
Next ExFOB

 When

Where

Technology Focus

6-10  May 2013

 Twentynine Palms, CA       

 Hybrid Power Systems
(RFI responses due 1 Mar)*

*The RFI is also available at www.fbo.gov (search Keyword: "ExFOB") 

ExFOB Team
ExFOB in the Field
In July 2010, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment trained on and deployed to Afghanistan with a suite of renewable energy technologies demonstrated at the first ExFOB. With these systems in place, India 3/5 operated two patrol bases entirely on renewable energy, reduced fuel consumption at a third base by 90%, and executed a three-week foot patrol without battery resupply, lightening their carried load by 700 pounds.