CA&G Controller Auditor & General CCS Cabinet Committee on Security CDM Chief of Defense Materiel CDL Chief of Defense Logistics CDS Chief of Defense Staff. CISC Chief of Integrated Staff to President COSC CLMO Command Logistics & Maintenance Officer COAS Chief of Army Staff. MES Military Engineering Service MGO General Ordnance Commander MIC Military Industrial Commission MOD Ministry of Defence.
Thanks are also due to the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyzes (IDSA) New Delhi, for arranging a discussion on the subject.
I NTRODUCTION
Alexander It is more important to destroy those places that contain elements of military power (magazines and stores) than soldiers, who are nothing without their stores. Systeme de Guerre Moderne – General Comte de Cessac George C Thorpe, in his 1917 book Pure Logistics: The Science of War Preparation, wrote1:. There is more than academic interest in getting logistics right. The purpose of the definition is to establish a division of labor, and if two divisions are properly defined and a third is not, there will be either a duplication of effort or some functions will be completely overlooked, with the result that a particular preparation for war will not to be done. As in the case of war, the concept and definition of logistics has changed several times. However, after decades of distorted interpretations and misapplication, "logistics" in the defense forces has become conceptually synonymous with support and combat service support. The 1993 US Operations Manual defines logistics2 as:. The process of planning and executing force support in support of military operations. development, acquisition, storage, movement, equipment, distribution and evacuation function of supply, field services, maintenance, health service support, personnel and facilities. Therefore, it is a comprehensive function that occurs across the entire range of military operations. At the tactical level, it focuses on the traditional combat service support functions of arming, fixing, refueling, personnel, movement, and support of the soldier and his equipment. Whether the definition encompasses all aspects of military logistics may be a matter of debate; but it must be acknowledged that the issue is complex and dynamic. Armies, worldwide, have been receiving new equipment and technology at regular intervals, thus requiring a change in logistical support. The Indian defense forces have also come a long way in terms of their equipment profile and new technologies and equipment are in the process of being acquired at a frantic pace. Whether the logistic structure, inherited at the time of independence, has kept pace with the change or not; and whether it has the capacity to absorb future changes requires introspection. Wars will always be a national effort and will involve all three services, the government and all its organs, the media and the public. Thus, conflicts require the collective will and strength of all constituents. Previously the collective will or what is now called 'union' was limited by purpose, technologies and organizational structures. However, as became evident after the 1991 Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the mantra for success is 'jointness', especially joint operations by the three Services - Army, Navy and Air Force3. Future military operations will require a joint logistical organization. If 'unification' is the norm of the day and is a precursor to future developments, then some fundamental questions need to be addressed in our context. a) Are the Indian defense services oriented towards "jointness" in operations and logistics. 3 Daniel L Haulman, "Inter Theater Air Lift challenges of Operation Enduring Freedom", online: http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD pdf, Accessed on 06 September 2011. b) If no, then what's stopping him. c) What needs to be done to achieve common logistics. d) What are the required changes and what should be the methodology for making these changes. e) Who should be responsible for making these changes. f) How to manage this logistic transformation process. In our case, even the scope of the right shared logistics model will have to be defined from the outset as the concept is still untried and unproven in India. The desired logistical changes and their implementation may also depend on general changes in the higher structures of the defense forces.
Theater-based logistics, or theater-based joint logistics, therefore refers to the integration of military logistics - including the operational logistics - of the three Services within a region.
S YSTEM AND ITS L IMITATIONS
Part of the personnel management of the logistics framework is therefore provided by the AG. The Command Logistics & Maintenance Officer (CLMO) is responsible to the SMSO for all logistics activities of the wings/. Even though it is a smaller organization compared to the Army, the logistics functions of the IAF are still not integrated.
In considering theater logistics, there are structural issues regarding jurisdictions of command headquarters of the three services.
L EARNING FROM E XPERIENCE
A comparison of the systems followed by our armed forces and that of Great Britain - which had the same origin - shows the great differences between the two as they exist today. Interestingly, despite their overwhelming victory in World War II and their experience of several very large-scale tri-service military operations with American forces, under supreme commanders such as General Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific Theater and General Dwight D Eisenhower in Europe, both the US and Great Britain noted serious flaws in their highest defense organizations. Since then, these countries have made countless changes in their defense organization.25 Changes made with the aim of modernizing and increasing the effectiveness of the armies have been a universal phenomenon.
However, the extent and details of the transformation have naturally varied and have been driven primarily by the security and threat perceptions of each individual nation. However, what was generally common is the impact of the information technology revolution on logistics management. Perhaps the most visible example of logistics transformation has been the US, which has modeled its logistics based on its experience in various wars in recent times.
Although the US model does not necessarily serve as a model for other militaries, it does provide an example of logistics management in a modern conflict scenario where rapid deployment and mission-oriented sustainment logistics will need to be considered.26 Various reforms implemented by other countries have not been completely successful and smooth. Another issue to remember is that in the pursuit of common ground, we must remember that responsibility for military planning must never be separated from responsibility for the execution that follows it.
OF OTHER N ATIONS
From a military perspective, the successive defense reforms in the UK have tended to strengthen central government at the expense of the services. DLA provides supply support, technical and logistical services to all branches of the military and to several civilian agencies. Following operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the 1990s, the agency's role in supporting military preparedness and humanitarian assistance has grown dramatically.
Its main task is to replenish the warships of the Royal Navy at sea with fuel and food. The RLC was formed by the amalgamation of transport, ammunition, catering, pioneers and some elements of the Royal Engineers. The delivery layer would be the customer interactive element of the DLO; Integrated Project Teams (IPTs), Naval Bases, Depots etc.
With around 29,000 staff, the DE&S is one of the largest organizations within the UK's MOD. In the 2010 review, it was envisaged that the strength of the UK Defense Forces would be reduced by 17,000 military personnel and 25,000 civilian elements in the MOD.39 39 General outline of the Strategic Defense and Security Review 2010 on the UK Defense Information website accessed online: www.armdforces.co.uk/articles/ raq4d074a/.
In 2000, the logistics departments in the seven military regions were reorganized into Joint Logistics Departments (JLD). There are certain obvious lessons that India can learn from the above review of the transformation efforts of other nations. The senior logistics officer so appointed generally holds a rank equivalent to that of service chiefs.
In a majority of cases, the political bosses were the harbingers of the change.
U SHERING A C HANGE
L OGISTICS N EED
T HEATERISED J OINT L OGISTICS
IN THE I NDIAN C ONTEXT
R ECOMMENDATIONS
Regardless of the amount and direction of change being considered, lessons from other countries' transformative efforts should be kept in mind. Similarly, the training of the existing cadre of officers will have to be addressed to achieve the desired objective. To encourage outsourcing and to superimpose a monitoring commission composed of three vice-chiefs of logistics to review this process.
Three deputy chiefs of logistics should be members of the Defense Procurement Board instead of the three deputy chiefs of staff currently. The recommendations of the task force must be turned into legislation through the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defense for implementation. The logistics of the three Services should be placed under the control of the JCOL, which should be a four-star general, with each service represented by a chief of logistics, a three-star general equivalent to the deputy chief of staff.
The respective heads of logistics will be under the technical control of JCOL and the functional control of the respective chiefs of staff. Until such time as the issue of CDS is decided, the JCOL may be a member of the staff head committee. Once the CDS is appointed, the JCOL should fall under the control of the CDS.
A JRA modeled after the US DLA and the UK DE&S is formed and placed under the JCOL. Some existing depots could be designated as joint regional hubs based on a tri-service requirement to provide supplies to units and formations in a specific geographic area.
C ONCLUSION
