Logistics a prerequisite for successful missions
DEFENCE logistics provides purchasing, transportation, logistical, and technical support for the army, navy, air force, marine corps and other federal agencies.
It covers activities and responsibilities, ranging from people’s movements to equipment movements; transportation and storage of materials and consumables; and medical care.
The main goal of defence logistics is to provide effective operational commands, thereby reducing the possible impact of disruptions in order for military and humanitarian missions to be successful.
Complex international missions and long-term allocation of resources places high demands on the logistics function, which needs to be reliable and responsive under all circumstances. Spreading of risks is an essential supply strategy, where hybrid networks are used in transport from the same origin to the same destination following a different route or even a different mode of transportation.
During international operations, materials can be supplied by their own defence organisation, or when possible outsourced to civilian organisations and businesses. Food is not always locally available, and, if available, it needs to meet food safety and halal standards. The disposal of waste also needs to be taken care of. Some military organisations bring their own waste burners. Upon completion of a mission, redeployment follows back to home or to another foreign country.
Defence logistics is complex and risk management critical as human lives are on the line. Effective risk management can be addressed in defence logistics by design through robust supply networks.
Robustness is created in three ways, namely through inventory buffers, buffer capacity, and command and control with advanced information and communications technology.
Extra buffer stocks of cheap and essential goods are held at strategic locations. In case of any supply issues, alternative suppliers can be used. However, it is always good to realise that holding stock comes at a cost of an estimated 25 per cent of the inventory value per year. As the costs of the so-called “iron stock” are covered by the government, this can have major budget implications. But, three-dimensional (3-D) printing has the potential of replacing parts for tools and machines that can be printed on demand, instead of holding these items in stock. In another application of 3-D printing, the United States army was already printing consumables such as surgical instruments and protective masks directly in war zones.
Buffer capacity is organised by boosting equipment, factories, distribution centres and suppliers. Availability of capacity is the most important (performance) requirement for defence contracts. The geographical location of this buffer capacity is key, as it directly impacts the distance to a mission’s location and the supply lead-time.
Logistics decisions are made centrally through command and control centres. Information management is mission-critical for effective supply to army. Joint total asset visibility helps in providing visibility to available resources. Through global positioning system technology, accurate and timely information is available of the location of assets, movements, status, and identity of units, people, materials and stocks.
As history shows, defence logistics is the bottleneck in military and humanitarian operations and a precondition for success in defence missions.
marco@lbbinternational.com The writer is founder and CEO of LBB International, the logistics consulting and research firm that specialises in agri-food supply chains, industrial logistics and third-party logistics. LBB provides logistics diagnostics, supply chain design and solutions and market research in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
During international operations, materials can be supplied by their own defence organisation, or when possible outsourced to civilian organisations and businesses.