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"We are working with State now to identify specific locations for the new detachments," Mr. Panetta said referring to the State Department in prepared remarks at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Sep. 11 attack on an American compound in Benghazi, Libya, which led to the deaths of J. Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador, and three other Americans.

The Marines have guard units at 152 diplomatic compounds, but did not have one in Benghazi when the assault occurred.

Mr. Panetta said that the role of the Marines detachments would be expanded beyond protecting classified information at the compounds.

"This could include expanded use of nonlethal weapons, and additional training and equipment, to support the Embassy Regional Security Officer's response options when host nation security force capabilities are at risk of being overwhelmed," Mr. Panetta said.

Mr. Panetta said that the Pentagon was not able to respond more quickly to the Benghazi episode because it had not received an intelligence alert about an impending attack.

"The Department of Defense was prepared for a wide range of contingencies, but unfortunately there were no specific indications of an imminent attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi," Mr. Panetta told the committee. "Without adequate warning, there was not enough time given the speed of the attack for armed military assets to respond."

When the attack began, the Pentagon had no forces that could be rapidly sent to Benghazi or to protect diplomatic outposts in Tunisia, Egypt or Algeria that might also have come under assault on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The closest AC-130 gunship was in Afghanistan. There are no armed drones thought to be within range of Libya. There was no Marine expeditionary unit — a large seaborne force with its own helicopters — in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Africa Command, whose area of operation includes North Africa, also did not have on hand a force able to respond rapidly to emergencies — a Commanders' In-Extremis Force, or C.I.F., as it is known. Every other regional command had one at the time, but the Africa Command shared one with the European Command, and it was on an exercise in Croatia at the time.

In his prepared remarks, Mr. Panetta did not address the question of whether the Africa Command had requested any of these forces to be on hand on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Nor did it say whether Mr. Panetta or Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had given any thought to moving forces to the region as a precaution before the attacks in September last year.

In a section of his prepared remarks labeled "Lessons Learned," Mr. Panetta recommended helping host nations better defend American compounds, improving intelligence and adding more Marine units.

Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan and the chairman of the committee, noted that Congress had passed legislation that called for a review of Marine security guard program. "The Marine Corps did not have an element in Benghazi as it was not an embassy, but a temporary mission facility," Mr. Levin said, outlining the need for a review.

"The four Americans our nation lost last September were the very best expression of what it means to be an Americans," Mr. Levin said. "We honor their sacrifice, and in their name will do everything we can to prevent a repetition of Benghazi's loss."