Supply objective
The objective of supply support in the maritime environment is to provide the prescribed materiel and services in the right quantities, in the right units of issue, at the right place, at the right time and with the right quality; and also sustain that support over time. Given the cost involved in supporting maritime capabilities, economy will always be a significant factor in supply support planning. However, whilst the importance of economy must be recognised, decisions must ultimately be made on the basis of preparedness to deliver effective supply support.
Supply philosophy
The maritime supply philosophy is for ships to be able to sustain
themselves, depending on their Class, for set durations (endurance). Ships must be designed with the ability to hold and manage sufficient stores for the planned mission duration, as per stated operating concepts and performance specifications. Navy aims to maintain an endurance load of the full range of the various classes of supplies including provisions, fuel, ammunition and spares onboard to ensure readiness, flexibility, reach, poise, persistence and resilience.
Supply support
Supply support ranges from procurement, through warehousing, packaging and handling, in-store maintenance and distribution and are determined primarily through the LSA. The continual feedback of supply related data such as demand satisfaction enables the constant analysis and readjustment of the supply support requirements.
The relationship between supply and engineering
Supply and engineering requirements are inter-reliant; logistics engineering determines the supply support requirements including:
• materiel requirements determination
• assembly parts lists
• shipboard allowances including approved alternative and substitute parts
• warehouse/in-store survey and maintenance requirements
• calibration requirements of tools, test equipment and supply items
• supply chain data.
The relationship between supply and maintenance
Supply and maintenance are also intrinsically linked. The supply support function provides the spares, tools and material, to enable repairs and maintenance. In turn, the maintenance support function returns the repairable items (RI) to supply organisations for them to manage the packaging, transport and handling to and from maintenance agencies and all other associated distribution and warehousing prior to the RI’s return into operational service. Support system decisions on mission system maintenance are often permanently fixed during the acquisition process, and must be reflected in corresponding maintenance, supply and distribution capabilities at all levels. Maintenance and supply decisions during the design of the support system have long-term cost and
effectiveness implications.
Supply chain operations
Supply chain operations involve the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient and effective distribution and storage of materiel, services and related information from point of origin to point of consumption. In the maritime context, the supply chain links the source of materiel through air and sea lines of communication (ALOC/SLOC) and nodes such as ports and airfields to task force, task group or individual vessel, and continues with the return of repairable items for maintenance and then return to store serviceable for future despatch. The overriding principle for Navy in regards to the supply chain is to effect the secure delivery of required materiel and support to our ships anywhere in the world, with standardised data interaction and the balance between urgency of need and cost.
The supply chain includes warehousing, distribution, repair and overhaul, and disposal of materiel, synonymous with inventory control. Supply chain management starts with the provisioning organisation, whose job it is to determine what is required, the quantities to be procured, and any limitations that may constrain the use of the materiel once it is received from industry. Supply chain management continues to the unit that consumes/uses the materiel, and continues its cycle with the return of repairable items.
The supply chain describes the distribution system linking materiel holdings to the deployed forces. In the maritime environment there are
“supply pulses” of materiel and support from multiple sources including:
• materiel demanded from ADF managed stocks, which include in-service support trusted commercial agents, including:
–rotable items returned to stock once repaired
–items harvested from equipment that is beyond economical repair and returned to stock
• materiel obtained from or exchanged with multinational forces
• materiel demanded directly from the manufacturer
• materiel managed by a contractor
• materiel sourced and procured from commercial entities in theatre.
Responsibilities for materiel within the supply chain rest with:
• capability managers who determine the requirement for materiel
• the sustainment agency that procures the majority of materiel
• the supply chain management agency that manages the distribution of materiel along the supply chain to the Agreed Point
• the Joint Task Force Commander (Comd JTF) who manages the materiel forward of the Agreed Point with the assistance of a Logistic Support Element (LSE)
• the Task Group Logistic Coordinator (TGLC), or the LSE in the case of single unit, who manages the distribution to the maritime element Naval Task Group or unit that consumes or uses the materiel
• commercial support providers and shipping agents in non-RAN ports (for example through standing offers) and ship’s interface (MLO, ML-SC).
The supply chain as it relates to maritime Supply Support is depicted in Figure 2.3.
Figure 2.3: Supply chains to a naval task group
Staging base International
Support Base
SPOE APOE
Possible Agreed Points
Possible Agreed Points
Nodes ALOC SLOC
APOD
SPOD National
support base
Joint force area of operations APOE – air point of embarkation SPOE – sea point of embarkation APOD – air point of disembarkation SPOD – sea point of disembarkation ALOC – air line of communication SLOC – sea line of communication