FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Resilient logistics capabilities will be vital to operational success in future large-scale combat operations, according to a new eight-page white paper titled "Support at the Forward Edge of the Battlefield: Lessons Learned."
The Russia-Ukraine conflict points to three strategies for achieving that resilience in today's contested logistics environment, wrote Army Col. Adrian Sullivan, commander of Defense Logistics Agency Europe & Africa, and Air Force Lt. Col. Russell Chance, a DLA liaison officer to the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine.
The first tactic is harnessing the strengths of allies and global industry partners to provide regional maintenance, repair and overhaul near the point of need. Uniting allied capabilities so all partner nations benefit from mutual sustainment in a concept NATO refers to as "collective logistics" is the second. And the third is the need for command, control and coordination systems that integrate allied and partner requirements.
"This collective logistics approach allows nations to share resources and capabilities, creating a more resilient logistics system," Sullivan and Chance wrote.
Regionalizing sustainment
The Defense Department is already exploring ways to adopt theater-based sustainment, shortening transportation lines and locally sourcing some supplies. The Logistics Enabling Node – Poland has become a hub for sustainment and MRO to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for example. Its geographic location in allied territory helps create a secure environment for receiving, warehousing and distributing spare parts, as well as preparing major equipment before it's transferred to the AFU.
"The footprint [at the Logistics Enabling Node – Poland] is multinational with parallel efforts ongoing to create aggregated capability and interoperation," the paper reads. "As the 21st Theater Sustainment Command has learned from this conflict, 'Collective defense requires collective sustainment.'"
The use of weapons systems from multiple nations in Ukraine also showcases the need for data analytics to help forecast maintenance and spare parts requirements. Superior material availability and technical experience will be key to maintaining readiness.
Integrating capabilities
The U.S. created the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine in 2022 to coordinate responses from allied nations and partners supporting AFU's logistics needs. A database developed by the United Kingdom also allows Ukraine to communicate its supply needs and provides allies with a way to detail the types and amounts of equipment they can provide.
"These requests can include requirements for major weapons systems, spare parts, technical data and training. Partner nations can then review those requests and determine what, if any, capability they can bring to bear," Sullivan and Chance wrote.
Integrating capabilities reduces reliance on single supply chains and provides greater awareness of allies' industrial capacity, they added. And as allies communicate locations where they can deliver material, the group can better counter bottlenecks and adversarial threats.
The need for interoperable weapons systems among NATO allies has also become evident in support to Ukraine, which has received over 100 systems, each with unique sustainment needs.
Enhancing command, control and coordination
The value of robust control systems became clear by Russia's failure early in the war to launch an offensive in Kyiv, according to the paper. The offensive included a 40-mile convoy of combat and sustainment forces heading for Kyiv, but mechanical breakdowns and shortages of food and fuel began just 10 miles into the journey. Assessments showed that radio and network failures broke down command and control, preventing Russian forces from solving logistics problems.
Beyond sound command and control, warfighters in future conflicts will also need analyzed data and risk assessments that enable troops to make quick decisions about logistics support. The Army Material Command's Predictive Analytic Suite, for example, gives SAG-U logisticians a near real-time view of readiness rates for Ukrainian weapons systems and can drill down to vehicles with specific serial numbers. However, the system requires manual updates.
"AMC is engaged in making system-wide improvements because the potential gains associated with the tool and its data set are inarguable," Sullivan and Chance wrote. "The ability to effectively leverage sustainment data for predictive planning is key to prolonged endurance."
Logistics is no longer just about getting the right stuff to the right place at the right time, they continued, adding that today's logisticians must also prioritize efforts to offset adversaries' attempt to disrupt support.
The paper is available at DLA's Campaign of Learning webpage (DLA common access card required), which features additional white papers and a curated reading list on supply chain management, history, emotional intelligence and more.