Forward Operating Base

A Forward Operating Base (FOB) is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. They may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities, and are generally separate from a main operating base by being temporary stations rather than permanent.

Militaires Sans Frontières
The Militaires Sans Frontières made use of various camps due to their nomadic nature, although they eventually gained a forward operating base in the form of Mother Base, which was originally a OTEC offshore research plant situated in the Caribbean before it was purchased by a front company by the KGB agent Vladimir Zadornov, who supplied the base to them as down-payment for hiring their services in Costa Rica. They eventually expanded it and even completely renovated it to create a hexagon-based design with multiple connected struts. However, it was destroyed several months later by XOF and Skull Face.

Diamond Dogs
The main headquarters for the Diamond Dogs, also called Mother Base, was situated in the Seychelles, which like Mother Base before it was also an offshore plant-based facility. This eventually received extensive expansions, eventually becoming large enough to feature its own forward operating bases, purchasing them in territorial waters located in areas including that east of the Hawaiian Islands, the Mid Atlantic Ridge, the South Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean, and the North Atlantic Ocean. These FOBs, like Mother Base, were also situated on offshore-plants, with their main purpose being to accelerate and hasten various developments and deployments for the military group, as well as allowing more recruits to join the PF. The need to develop an FOB and for a Security Unit was considered extremely important after a raid on the main Mother Base occurred in the form of a disgruntled former MSF member. Diamond Dogs' FOBs were often frequently attacked by rival PMCs, often stealing various equipment and personnel during the raids.

FOB in gameplay
In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, players can build their own FOBs and invade FOBs belonging to other players. Currently, only two FOBs can actually be built by the player, although plans are made to add more FOBs into the online FOB mode in the future, with the Piggyback Guide implying that there are as many as four FOBs to be developed in total. Players select which platform to invade, and then choose one of three landing zones to disembark to. If the attacking player is never seen by their rival's forces, the latter will not gain the opportunity to take revenge through the invader's wormhole. The defending player can fight the invader personally or leave the defense up to his soldiers on the base, as well as set whether the security force will use lethal or not lethal damage when defending. Further security options include the placement of decoys, mines, cameras, anti-theft alarms, infrared sensors and the deployment of UAV camera drones.

Players can also create nuclear warheads that are stored on the Command Platform of an FOB. The nukes act as a deterrent, so that invaded players cannot get revenge on nuclear-equipped invaders unless they themselves have a nuke. Much like other resources and personnel on the FOBs, an invading player can steal nukes from other players and either keep them as a deterrent or dismantle them for heroism points and GMP. Nuclear deterrents can be circumvented if the invading player has achieved Hero status by accumulating over 500000 heroism points.

FOB site locations and cost


Although the Piggyback Guide claims there are four FOBs able to be developed, only two could actually be developed at the game's initial launch. The third FOB was released via the Version 1.06 update.


 * Mid-Atlantic Ridge: 1700 MB Coins
 * East of the Hawaiian Islands: 1600 MB Coins
 * South Atlantic Ocean: 1600 MB Coins
 * Indian Ocean: 1700 MB Coins
 * North Pacific Ocean: 1500 MB Coins
 * North Atlantic Ocean: 1500 MB Coins
 * South Pacific Ocean: 1500 MB Coins

Medical Platform
Although the Piggyback Guide claims there are four FOBs able to be developed, only two could actually be developed during the game's initial launch. The third FOB was released via the Version 1.06 update.

FOB Events in The Phantom Pain
Special promotional events are held periodically in the FOB feature of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Players who complete certain objectives during events are able to get rewards.

FOB Events are run periodically in order to grant players extra soldiers and resources based on criteria such as Successful Infiltration, adding Supporters to FOB Relationship, Base Expansion, and using MB Coins to speed up Base Expansion. Generally the rewards are a large number of processed materials, and A+ Rank and above Mother Base Staff based on which platform is infiltrated.

As well as these, there are specific named FOB Events which provide a brief introduction and feature a loose story around the infiltration of the FOB. These also have no risk of a reprisal, which means the player can steal staff and materials to their hearts content.

Mosquito's Legacy
This event runs between October 6, 2015 - October 20, 2015, and can be issued only after completing Mission 31. It was later re-issued on November 10, 2015 in commemoration for the Version 1.06 release. "A former comrade, Mosquito, once plotted to take over Mother Base in his mad pursuit to exact revenge on Big Boss. The stronghold of the PF he commanded has been located. There, remnants of Mosquito's PF are attempting to rebuild the organization. Make sure this doesn't happen. Infiltrate the enemy platform, and make it to the core."

- Mosquito's Legacy mission briefing in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Rewards

 * Standard
 * Volunteer soldiers ranging from S++-A (which amount depending on which platform was completed):
 * 8 (Command Platform)
 * 8 (Combat Platform)
 * 4 (R&D Platform)
 * 2 (Base Development Platform)
 * 4 (Support Platform)
 * 8 (Intel Platform)
 * 4 (Medical Platform)
 * Materials (exact amount and specific type depending on which platform was completed):
 * Biological Material x1194 (Command Platform)
 * Common Metal x3045 (Combat Platform)
 * Precious Metal x1284 (R&D Platform)
 * Minor Metal x3821 (Base Development Platform)
 * Fuel Resources x4299 (Support Platform)
 * Golden Crescent x67 (Intel Platform)
 * Digitalis (Purpurea) x51 (Medical Platform)
 * 100,000 GMP
 * Bonuses
 * A+ Rank Staff for each relevant unit x6 (for each platform)
 * S+ Rank Staff for completing the first and last platform (first time only)
 * No reprisals, so the player can steal as much resources, personnel, and equipment as they wish

New World Order
This event runs between October 27, 2015 - November 5, 2015, and can be issued only after completing Mission 31."Upstart PFs are appearing all over the globe. Though inspired by Diamond Dogs, their reckless actions, motivated by money, have brought chaos to our areas of operations. Not only have they brought discredit to the PF industry, they are now on the verge of triggering new conflicts. One of these PFs, known as "No Alert," has requested that we infiltrate their rival "Kill Count." Your mission is to infiltrate the base and put Kill Count's personnel and materials to better use in Diamond Dogs."

- New World Order mission briefing in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Rewards

 * Standard
 * Volunteer soldiers ranging from S-B (which amount depending on which platform was completed):
 * 6 (Command Platform)
 * 6 (Combat Platform)
 * 3 (R&D Platform)
 * 1 (Base Development Platform)
 * 3 (Support Platform)
 * 6 (Intel Platform)
 * 3 (Medical Platform)
 * Materials (exact amount and specific type depending on which platform was completed):
 * Biological Material x244 (Command Platform)
 * Common Metal x622 (Combat Platform)
 * Precious Metal x262 (R&D Platform)
 * Minor Metal x780 (Base Development Platform)
 * Fuel Resources x878 (Support Platform)
 * Golden Crescent x16 (Intel Platform)
 * Digitalis (Purpurea) x10 (Medical Platform)
 * 140000 GMP
 * Bonuses
 * A++ Staff for each unit x6 (for each platform core reached)
 * S+ Staff for the relevant unit x3 (first platform core reached)
 * S++ Staff for the relevant unit x1 (for the last platform core reached; first time only)
 * A++ Staff for each unit x5 (second time onward)
 * No reprisals, so the player can steal as much resources, personnel and equipment as they wish

Behind the scenes
Forward operating bases were introduced by name in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker with Mother Base, although its function was closer to a Main Operating Base than a Forward Operating Base due to Kazuhira Miller's comments about it being their home.

In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the Mother Base gameplay mechanic was expanded to also feature forward operating bases for online mode, which will activate once Mother Base reaches a certain size. In Versus Mode, other players can attack FOBs in order to steal GMP, resources, personnel and equipment. In the E3 demo's FOB section, it featured some preliminary elements for various FOBs, such as MB Coin prices as well as two materials deposits menus being displayed on the background at a time:

Although the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean's materials deposit stats in the FOB demo were the same as in the final version, the North Pacific Ocean, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, East of the Hawaiian Islands and South Atlantic Ocean had their various stats swapped (ie, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge's final materials deposit table was the North Atlantic Ocean's materials deposit in the E3 2015 demo, the North Pacific Ocean's materials deposit stats in the final version was originally the Mid-Atlantic Trench in the demo, the South Pacific Ocean's materials deposit stats in the final release was originally for East of the Hawaiian Islands in the demo, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge's materials deposits in the final version were initially North Atlantic Ocean's materials deposits in the demo.) while some were left unused in the final version (ie, the North Pacific Ocean's materials deposit stats in the demo).