RICHMOND, Va. –
In a move to enhance military readiness in the Indo-Pacific, Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support at Ogden and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing have initiated a 90-day proof-of-concept trial to forward-stock critical aircraft parts in Okinawa, Japan.
Now more than halfway through the trial period, this initiative aims to drastically reduce the time it takes to get essential components to Marine Corps aircraft, ensuring they are ready for missions at a moment’s notice.
The partnership was born out of necessity after readiness challenges were identified by the 1st MAW during experimentation with Distributed Aviation Operations concepts. Recognizing the unacceptable risk posed by long supply lines in a contested environment, 1st MAW leadership collaborated with DLA to develop this forward-stocking trial as a tangible solution to close the critical logistics gap.
This collaboration addresses the significant logistical challenges posed by the vast distances in the Pacific theater. Historically, getting a necessary part from depots in the continental U.S. to Okinawa could lead to lengthy aircraft downtime, often exceeding 20 days and impacting overall operational readiness.
Air Force Col. Kazimir Kostrubala, commander of DLA Weapons Support at Ogden, elaborated on the specific readiness issues.
“The current lead times for these Class IX parts of more than 20 days degraded the 1st MAW’s readiness by delaying training and exercise operations,” he said. “Furthermore, when taking into account a contested logistics environment during a crisis, the lack of these critical parts being prepositioned closer to the fight poses additional risk.”
The trial, centered at Kadena Air Base, Japan, involves pre-positioning 21 different parts, or National Stock Numbers, closer to the 1st MAW’s flight lines at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan.
These are not just random parts, said Daren Pierce, a logistics support manager for DLA Weapons Support at Ogden.
“The 21 NSNs chosen by the 1st MAW were deemed their highest demanded items and would be best suited to exercise the 90-day proof-of-concept,” he said. “These NSNs provide support to 1st MAW’s fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tilted-rotary aircraft.”
The ambitious core objective of the trial is to measure and shorten the end-to-end replenishment cycle, said Shayleigh Davis, a DLA Weapons Support at Ogden Geographically Separated Unit program manager.
“The goal is 48 hours, with the first delivery being completed in one hour after the order was received in DLA’s system, immediately exceeding the established goal,” said Davis
This forward-stocking model is a direct response to the need for a more agile and resilient supply chain in a region of increasing strategic importance. For the personnel on the ground, the impact is immediate and significant. According to the 1st MAW, the pilot program reduces wait times for maintainers. Instead of waiting days or weeks for parts, they can receive them in hours, leading to faster repairs, reductions in aircraft downtime, and improvements to aircraft availability and readiness.
Under the terms of the agreement, DLA Weapons Support will allocate 250 square feet of storage space at Kadena Air Base and manage the replenishment of the forward-stocked parts. The 1st MAW will provide storage bins, maintain inventory records, and order the designated parts through their established supply system.
This proof-of-concept aligns with broader Department of War efforts to improve sustainment. Kostrubala pointed out the strategic importance of the pilot program within U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
“INDOPACOM’s theater campaign and operational plans require increasing amounts of logistics agility when it comes to projecting both power and deterrence in the region,” Kostrubala said. “Aligned to our National Security Strategy, this approach supports risk mitigation in light of anti-access/area-denial, or A2/AD, capabilities. These capabilities are designed to disrupt the traditional American way of building up forces in a theater and rely on extended lines of communication across the Pacific.”
The success of the trial will not just be measured by speed. The ultimate key performance indicators will be improvements in aircraft readiness metrics, including higher materiel availability rates, a reduction in Not Mission Capable Supply hours, and an overall increase in aircraft availability rates.
At the conclusion of the 90 days, the leadership who signed the memorandum of agreement – Kostrubala and Marine Corps Col. Patrick Seipel, commander of 1st MAW – will be responsible for the final evaluation and will report their findings up their respective chains of command.
The lessons learned will have a lasting impact, Pierce said. If successful, the potential for this program is significant. Expansion could include adding more critical NSNs to the forward-stocked inventory, supporting other Class IX items within the 1st MAW, and replicating this model for other services or in other strategic locations around the globe.
“Any improvements to improve warfighter support drive increased readiness by reducing transit times, cost reductions, and strategically placed material in the area of responsibility,” Pierce said. “These strategies will be used to prove what Weapons Support can do for future forward-stocking initiatives.”
He added that these lessons will help DLA refine its global logistics strategy, “ensuring a more agile and resilient supply chain for all services in contested environments.”