RELATIONAL APPROACHES REGARDING FOCUSED

LOGISTICS IN MODERN WARFARE JOINT OPERATIONS

Gheorghe MINCULETE*
Polixenia OLAR**

* Colonel, PhD in Military Sciences, professor at the Logistics, Finance and

Accounting, Department, “Carol I” National Defence University, Bucharest,
Romania
** Teaching Assistant, PhD, English teacher at the Joint Operations, Strategic and
Security Studies Department, “Carol I” National Defence University, Bucharest,
Romania

The military joint operations of the future are characterized by large concentrations
of forces and conventional means on the directions that permit the exploitation of the
technological superiority and the manifestation of the offensive spirit of the commanders
of the joint operation force groups. Having in mind the fact that the relation between the
combatant forces and the logistic ones will shift more and more in favour of the latter, the
aforementioned operations will be usually supported by modern flexible logistic structures.
The constituted force groups will have a significant joint force character, ensuring
superior quality of the troops’ combat training, both at individual level and collective level
of units and large units. The current article presents innovative aspects of focused logistics,
adapted for the modern warfare, which should be designed and achieved in order to increase
the operational potential of the joint force groups.

Key words: security environment; modern battlefield; forces transformation, anticipatory

distribution based logistic system; focused logistics; planning of focused logistics; Sense and -
Respond Logistics.
The current evolutions in the assuring the success of joint operations.
international security environment bring This requires not only new technologies,
to the attention of the NATO member but also changes at the doctrinal level, a
countries’ armed forces new challenges new philosophy of training, command and
and dilemmas. Nowadays it is necessary organizational structure, the increase of
to ensure an optimum balance between the degree of availability of equipment and
the need to have well prepared and facilities and, last but not least, well trained
modern forces, the growing number of military personnel in new fields [1].
complex missions and the increasingly Logistics, together with strategy and
limited resources available. tactics, will still continue to define in the
The transformation of the armed future the decision making process of
forces will also modify the manner in the joint military actions. Commanders
which the wars of the future will be will continue to hold responsibility for
waged. Military specialists see this the build-up, support and engagement of
transformation as a process of re-thinking combat forces, while logistics will play a
of the priority objectives and structure major role in the act of command through
of the armed forces, from the model the creation and support of armament
adopted during the Cold War to a new and force systems that will be engaged
type of forces capable of carrying out at tactical level for the achievement of
a growing spectrum of missions and of strategic objectives.
 The fundamental logistic processes The traditional concepts of
that contribute to flexibility in the manoeuvre, strike, protection and
military strategy are those involved in logistics are augmented by the
the generation process of military power, information superiority provided through
the implementation of military force, as technological innovations, to produce
well as the support of it. improvements that are potentially so
The War in Iraq from 2003 drastic that they can become, in fact,
emphasized the characteristics of new operational concepts. As shown in
the military operations of the future, Figure 1, these continuously evolving
demonstrating at the same time many of operational concepts appear as follows:
the limitations of military logistics. The • Dominant Manoeuvre – the
logistics of modern armies were adequate multidimensional application of
and constitute an answer the necessities information, engagement and mobility
of a conflict according to the scenarios capabilities in order to position and
of the Cold War, but it no longer matches engage the common air, sea, land and
the military operations specific to the era space forces that are dispersed to carry
of information superiority. It thus results out the assigned operational tasks;
that the logistic system of modern forces • Precise engagement – a system
is and will be in this century more and of systems that permits our forces to locate
more flexible, agile and adaptable, just the objective or target, assures the adequate
like the forces that it supports. command and control, generates the desired
The need to be able to manage the effect, evaluates our level of success and
changes and their results on the modern retains the flexibility to precisely re-engage
battlefield has led the US Defense when necessary;
Department Joint Vision 2020. The • Multi-dimensional protection –
document states that the main objective the multi-layer offensive and defensive
is to attain information superiority that capacity to protect own forces and
will provide knowledge superiority facilities against all levels of enemy
to the joint force and lead to decision attacks, maintaining at the same time
superiority for the entire duration of the liberty of action during deployment,
the conflict. Among other concepts, at manoeuvre and engagement;
the origins of the Joint Vision 2020 we • Focused logistics – the fusion
can also find the concept of Focused of information, logistics and transport
Logistics. technologies in order to provide rapid
The new reality of the security crisis response, to track and change goods,
environment made the US government even during shipping, and also to provide
initiate three new initiatives of force personalized logistical packages and
transformation: 1. Network-centric support directly at the strategic, operational
warfare; 2. Sense and Respond Logistics; and tactical levels of the operations [3].
3. Transforming Military Culture [2].

Fig. no. 1. Operational concepts applied by the US Military

 The process of the armed forces the necessity to develop in optimum
modernization requires the use of conditions the focused logistics that will
high-tech armament systems and permit the adequate support of the forces
munitions that equal or surpass those engaged in joint military operations, as well
of the competitors in the following key as the optimum process of rapid response
areas: tanks require a high level of fire force projection in operation theatres / areas
power, mobility and reliability; combat with a duration of notification significantly
aircraft require long flying range, large smaller than at present.
payload, superior avionics and high Thus, focused logistics represent the
manoeuvrability; war ships will have to be capacity to ensure the logistic support
able to survive in a hostile environment, necessary to large units and units from
to independently face a large array of the structure of a group of joint forces,
threats and to effectively use their fire which consists of adequate personnel,
power at large distances. resources and equipment at the required
From an operational point of view, location, time and in the required
the necessity to effectively accomplish quantities, during the participation in
the assigned missions by the joint forces various military actions in the theatres/
led to the creation of modular military areas of operations.
organizations, represented by a sufficient Focused logistics is the one that
number of more flexible large units answers the complex logistic support
(combat and logistic support units) that requirements, adequate to the conditions
will permit the planning and creation of of the modern battlefield. It represents
force packages of an adequate size for a complex and difficult process, due
a timely and efficient deployment and to the rapid change of the operational
engagement. This fundamental objective situation and the effects determined
entailed the transformation of the joint by the technological potential of the
military forces manner of action and new destruction capabilities. From
structure, through the integration and this point of view we should underline
close connection between information, the positive effect brought by: the new
operations and logistic structures, whose information technologies; the growing
actions are focused on supporting the strike accuracy; the large scale usage of
materialization of the commandant’s air manoeuvre and transport platforms;
conception. The result is the need for the standardization; low consumption of
theoretical-applicative use of focused fuels and lubricants; the use of evolved
logistics, which requires sustained systems of monitoring of supply stocks,
anticipative and proactive logistic as well as the technical state of major
support actions. equipments; the significant reduction of
In modern warfare, focused logistics the size and weight of vehicles, sensors
represent an operational concept of and armaments; the smaller crews;
the US armed forces. It represents the reduced in size operational and logistic
fusions of information, logistics and support structures; the use of drones; the
transport technologies to ensure a rapid shift to electric vehicles etc.
crisis response, to rapidly track and All these technological achievements
change the destination of the necessary permit and facilitate: the simplification
quantities of materials and means (even of re-supplying with materials and
during their shipping), to deliver to the services specific missions; the reduction
beneficiaries quantities and categories of the size of stocks as a consequence of
of materials that are adapted to their the reduction in material consumption;
concrete situations and to ensure direct the significant growth of the movement,
support directly at strategic level, as well transport, storage and maintenance
as at the operative and tactical levels of capacity; the replacement of slow
the military actions. and hard to manage logistic support
Based on the experience of recent structures and systems.
conflicts, the requirements of network In the same time, digitalization and
centric warfare evidently emphasizes automation of the operational logistics
domains can determine an increase of effectiveness versus efficiency; analysis
the vulnerabilities’ level, which requires and valorisation of simultaneous
supplementary risk management solutions, locally optimized, globally
measures in order to provide an anticipated and expected, in rigorous
opportune, effective and efficient logistic accordance with: the intentions of the
support of forces for the achievement of commanders, the strategic, operational
missions, according to the requirements and tactical situation, the battlefield and
of the stages of joint actions [5]. the abilities of the forces; logistic support
In order to establish adequate decision making adapted to and in full
response options to the current and awareness of the situation; gathering,
future challenges and threats to global analysis and adequate reaction to new
security, both US and NATO forces act at experiences and lessons learned; the
strategic, operative and tactical levels in management of force capabilities and
the following directions: full knowledge the achievement of a proactive logistic
of the situation; obtaining of superiority support, adapted to the intentions of the
in all domains, in order to support operational commanders; autonomous
the intentions of the commanders; and one-to-one demand and supply,
adaptation to new situations; the supply automated supply, agile procurement
of the necessary logistic packages, [4] (Figure 2).
focusing on speed versus quality and on

Fig. no.2. Focused Logistics Approach [3]

The aforementioned requirements sent to destroy it, in 2003 this procedure
can be supported by operational examples took approximately 20 minutes and it is
from the wars waged in the Persian Gulf. anticipated that will take less than one
Thus, if during the 1991 Iraq War it took minute in the future.
two days from the moment a target was From the same perspective of
detected to the moment when troops were the rapid evolution of information
technology, we can mention that in and redeployed, regardless of the state
1991, 500,000 soldiers had at their of the infrastructure in the theatre / area
disposal an information transfer capacity of joint operations; the capacity to make
of 100 megabits per second. In 2003, accurate logistic analysis or estimates
350,000 soldiers reached objectives a and to clearly identify all forces and
lot more rapidly, thanks to the growth of means through the available sensor
the transmission rate to 3 Gigabits per system (location, state, configuration,
second, which is a 30 fold growth. tracking etc.); to compile records from
The superior military technological the national and international trading
developments of the recent years organizations to evaluate and determine
determined important previsions for the available capabilities which ensure
the future, thus being estimated that in to resources involved in the supply / re-
the first minutes from the beginning of supply processes, as well as the services
hostilities a number of over 500 strategic they offer [4].
targets could be destroyed. According to these, in order to reach
All these examples imply superior level of support performance,
adequate logistics, being in continuous focused logistics requires superior
development, as a consequence of the (improved) transportation capabilities
rapid evolutions in the operational, and a wide array of other technological
technical and economical domains. Thus, innovations, doubled by computerized
modern technology and procedures will command, control and communication
continue to act in the future as major system and structures, which will
transformation elements in the domain substantially modify the traditional
of focused logistics. logistics. The ability to know precisely
In these circumstances, the following where each person, logistic item or unit
trends will gather way: the military and is in real time, through the creation and
economic transformations will determine use of a system of sensors specific to
a change in the logistic managerial network centric warfare, will permit
business practice itself (as a result of the precise knowledge with regard to the
growth in forces’ missions complexity, exact situation of the logistic support
and of the availability of resources and and of the state of specific flows. This
business practices); the technological level of knowledge will ensure the
changes and the improvement of the degree of flexibility and the speed of
information management will allow IT reaction necessary to the forces that will
logisticians to shorten de decision making be supported.
process and to solve the problems specific The magnitude, complexity and
to focused logistics in shorter time [7]; rapidity of military actions specific
the application of modern management to modern warfare require that forces
concepts, procedures, methods and be ready to deploy or re-deploy at any
techniques will bring about focused, moment, in order to be able to face threats
flexible and real time logistic flows [4]. and challenges through the creation of
Focused logistics emphasizes those modular operational structures. In these
essential elements that effectively conditions a shift in the functions of
envisage: flexible and agile acting logistics takes place from those specific to
organizational structures, with logistic rigidly vertically structured organizations
support development capabilities - to those modularly integrated, adequate
which permits the deployment into the to flexible support systems. Thus, the
theatre of military operations of smaller structures within the integrated logistic
logistic organizations with well defined systems should be proactive, and provide
missions; ongoing logistic operations, opportune logistic support necessary to
flexible and adapted for optimum joint forces for the full accomplishment
support, from supply / re-supply sources of their operational missions. To this
to end consumers; the use of very mobile end, an effective management is ensured
movement and transport means, which by the information subsystems of the
could be rapidly relocated, recovered logistic modules (S4, A4, N4, G4, J4),
which represent the components of the logistic estimates, precise and rigorous
group of joint forces’ command and alternatives, and also the transposition
control system. of the operation concept (at strategic,
At the same time, the management operative and tactical levels) directly in
and execution logistic structures will logistic terms [8] (Figure 3).
have closer links and will cooperate High technology and accurate
more with the commercial companies, armament systems increase the lethality
in order to apply and benefit from their and efficiency of operational forces and
advanced business practice, supply and decrease the demand for a very developed
distribution processes, and material logistic infrastructure. Automated
management programs as well as from sensors embedded in the logistics
the specific economic networks and networks diagnose the state of their
flows. own system, when the concrete situation
According to the requirements calls for that. To this end, according to
of modern warfare, focused logistics the speed of the actions, the stockpiles
primarily requires adequate planning. of the combat structures will also have
Having this aspect in mind, operational to undergo rapid re-deployment. This
planning will be continuously improved, should be much better achieved through
so that the information systems specific the usage of a system of sensors that will
to logistics will be able to effectively permit both the permanent visualization
ensure and support the planning process of the needs for logistic support, the
of the joint forces’ missions. The new continuous movement of resources, and
information systems will be designed the predicted later deployments toward
in such a way as to be able to generate the areas of interest.

Fig. no. 3. Logistics Focused Planning [8]

 At present, modern armies experiment organized in a modular manner and be
the so-called “anticipatory logistics” capable to support the components of the
concept (for oil products, munitions and joint force according to the operational
maintenance), which is in fact, logistics requirements. The size of these structures
focused on real consumption needs. This will be related to the specific of the
concept uses technologies, information theatre of operations and the assigned
systems and procedures designed to mission, so that their configuration
foresee and establish fundamental could be modified in order to satisfy the
priorities in order to be able to ensure an logistic support requirements.
adequate logistic support according to Focused logistics is part of an efficient
actual consumption [9]. logistic system established to provide
The continuous modernization of anticipative and distribution based
logistics will also determine the reduction logistic support that will have to ensure:
in the size of the forces and means effective information management;
deployed for the preparation and waging adequate operative/„readiness” level
of joint operations and in the same time a of management; efficient and effective
growth in their efficiency, the reduction management of the supply – distribution
of the dependency of combat forces on chain; management of logistic
slow and unreliable logistic systems in capabilities in accordance with the
order to ensure continuous operativeness existing logistic support requirements.
regardless of the weather [10]. To this As a fundament of focused logistics,
end, focused logistics will have the the concept of Sense and Respond
following objectives: to standardize Logistics requires the existence of
logistic techniques and procedures, adequate abilities in the fields of
both in the military and in the civilian information gathering and usage. This
/ commercial field; to obtain real time allows the military command and control
information on stockpiles; to minimize system, as well as the operational activities
the waiting time of the consumer; to associated with it, to dynamically
correlate military and commercial efforts adapt to the continuous evolution of
in the field of supply – distribution chain the conception of the commander, to
management [11]. the strategic, operational and tactical
The sensors mounted on the combat situation, to the environment and to the
and on the support equipment ensure the continuous change of the force ability,
monitoring of the stockpile levels, their capabilities and logistic resources.
exact location within every unit, the state The technological progresses related
of the equipment, etc. and they transmit to the information era, especially those
these data to decision makers of the field that ensure superiority in joint actions,
of logistics. Knowing the situation of will also give consistency to the concept
operational logistics at a certain moment, of focused logistics and the capabilities
in greater detail will allow decision needed to force projection and force
makers to be able to better configure the support anywhere in the world, in any
re-supply demands. They will use the type of military operation.
new evaluation instruments of focused It is obvious that, in order to cope
logistics, such as: extended diagram, with the existing realities and tendencies
automated testing and data analysis and in the development of modern weapons,
processing means, in order to provide specialists claim that focused logistics
combat and support forces with more must be in a continuous process of
efficient logistic support by using fewer transformation and adaptation. But
means [12]. it is only through perseverance (in
On the basis of the facts presented the direction of obtaining maximum
above, it results that focused logistics advantages from the economic realities
require that logistic structures - that of the civilian environment) that we will
are part of combat (or about to be achieve success in harmoniously mix
operational) large units and units, as them with the requirements specific to
well as of logistic support ones, to be the military sector. In this way we will
shape the future logistic and support [4] COL Michael W. Snow (2011), Focused
missions for the forces participating in Logistics: Putting Agility in Agile Logistics
operations, both on national soil and (A Monograph). School of Advanced Military
also in foreign external operations. Studies United States Army Command and
General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
In conclusion, the necessity to pp.31-35.
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structures within the joint forces, Oros, Managementul instabilităţii, Editura
according to the requirements of the Academiei de Inalte Studii Militare, Bucureşti,
war of the future, demands important 2003, p. 241.
modernizations. For attaining the [6] Joint Vision 2010. Focused Logistics. A
requirements of focused logistics, an Joint Logistics Roadmap, p. 5.
extremely complicated and gradual [7] MC 0319/3 NATO Principles and Policies
endeavour is needed, which call for for Logistics, 2014, p. 9.
[8] FM 100-10-1 Theater Distribution,
adequate actions and changes from a Chapter 5: Distribution Management and
conceptual and action point of view. Planning, Section III. - Distribution Planning.
[9] Major Joshua M. Lenzini (2002),
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