Military Tents for Forward Operating Sites

Military operations often require forward operating sites (FOS) to support sustained missions that require small-scale, permanent facilities. 

Unlike forward operating bases (FOB), main operating bases (MOB), and cooperative security locations (CSL), which typically have permanent large forces and are well-defended, a military FOS usually has rotational forces rather than permanent ones, and facilities in the area are meant to be highly deployable. 

For these reasons, it’s important for a military FOS to be quick to deploy, scale, strike, and relocate, as the needs of the mission change.

Alaska Defense™ has nearly 50 years of proven experience engineering and designing the most widely used military tents to seamlessly integrate and support any mission, including forward operating sites. 

Types of Military Tents for Forward Operating Sites

Alaska Defense provides a wide range of military tents perfect for meeting the varying needs of forward operating sites:

• The Alaska XP^® Shelter System is a rapidly deployable military shelter system designed to be deployed in less than 10 minutes to support expeditionary missions. The Alaska XP^® Shelter System is available in 12’, 14’, 16’, and 20’ widths and varying heights and lengths.

• The Alaska Small Shelter System^® is the most popular military shelter system used around the world. Fully operational in less than 20 minutes, the Alaska Small Shelter System can fulfill many operational requirements, including billeting facilities for NCO housing, commander and officer housing, Command and Control (C2) facilities, company-sized Tactical Operation Centers (TOC), and medical facilities… to name a few! 

• The Alaska Medium Shelter System™ is a multipurpose military tent designed to support mid- to long-term deployments. While it can be configured to accommodate billeting needs, it is primarily used for dining facilities (DFAC), communication and command centers for situational awareness (SA), maintenance and repair space, and storage facilities for military vehicles and equipment. At 30’ wide, with lengths between 32.5’ and 65’ and a peak height of 15’, this medium shelter can even serve as a military hangar for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (TUAV).

• The Alaska 40’ Shelter System (AK40) is 40’ wide and available in lengths ranging from 30’ to 120’ with a peak height of 20’. The AK40 is designed to fulfill medium to large shelter system requirements, such as Large Area Maintenance Shelters (LAMS), Morale, Recreation, and Welfare (MRW) facilities, Reception, Staging, Onward-Movement, and Integration (RSOI) facilities, and large dining facilities to feed more military personnel at a time. 

Additional Products to Support Forward Operating Sites

Alaska Twin Bed™

Alaska Defense offers metal-framed twin beds with 5” and 7.5” thick mattresses to accommodate military personnel. They’re fast and easy to assemble and pack flat for efficient transport or storage. A generous 22” clearance creates extra storage space for soldiers’ belongings, rucksacks, or A/B bags. 

Alaska Containers™

Looking for a reusable transport container for Alaska Military Shelter Systems? Alaska Containers™ are weather-resistant, watertight, and can be stacked to make efficient use of space at forward operating sites. They can carry up to 2,500 pounds and are available in aluminum or rotationally molded plastic. 

Showers and Latrines

Alaska’s expeditionary shower and latrine systems are soft-walled and specifically engineered for supporting rapid deployment strategies, including a military FOS. The Alaska Shower-In-A-Box™ and Alaska Latrine-In-A-Box™ are designed to integrate into any military tent system from Alaska Defense, and are available in four-, six-, eight-, or 10-person configurations. 

Environmental Control Units (ECUs)

The Alaska ECU^® is a rugged, portable military HVAC unit designed specifically for supporting military operations in extreme hot, cold, humid, or dusty climates. Our military ECUs quickly attach to any Alaska military tent to keep personnel comfortable when deployed to a forward operating site or forward operating location (FOL).

[Related: A Few Applications of Our Structures]

Military Tents for Forward Operating Sites

For more information about Alaska Defense, our extensive range of military tents, military ECUs, or support products we offer for forward operating sites, send an email to inquiry@alaskadefense.com or fill out the online request form on our contact page.