A new plan for converting oil rigs in the Pacific Ocean into mobile missile defense and resupply bases is being undertaken by the U.S. Navy.

Under the U.S. Navy’s Mobile Defense/Depot Platform (MODEP) concept, which was recently unveiled at the Sea Air Space 2024 expo, surplus oil rigs in the Pacific Ocean will be converted into mobile missile defense and resupply bases.

The concept, the developers explained, proposes transforming existing oil rigs into large, island bases capable of operating independently for up to 12 months at a time, potentially featuring either 512 vertical launch system (VLS) cells or 100 large missile launchers — thereby offering what the U.S. Navy calls a more robust U.S. air defense posture in the Pacific Ocean.

Extending beyond defense applications, the MODEP concept will also reportedly serve as Afloat Forward Staging Bases, which promise to offer logistical support for U.S. Navy surface combatants and nuclear submarines.

In addition to offering what the U.S. Navy calls “a substantial reduction in risks and costs associated with land-based defense systems,” the cost of converting these existing oil rigs is estimated to be just 10% of the cost of building an entirely brand-new Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system.