Military Logistics International, Spring-2013

7/16/2019 Military Logistics International, Spring-2013

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CustomerserviceContractor-led vehicle MRO

BUMPYROAD AHEAD

Logistics truck procurement

UPS ANDDOWNS

Climate control technology

www.mil-log.com

REFRESHINGACTIVITIES

Asian support vessels

Volume 8 Number 1

Spring 2013



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173 EDITORIAL COMMENT

Malian malaise

4 NEWS

• RAAF operational with MRTT

• Dewey Electronics to expand military generator

oerings

• Aghan Air Force welcomes cancellation o

C-27 contract

6 END OF THE LINE?

To ensure that vehicles remain in service and

operational, militaries must provide an extensive

support network, comprising specialist MRO

companies, OEMs and logistics units, nds

Tim Fish.

11 BELOW DECKS

Logistics systems or some classes o naval vessel

are becoming more automated to drive down

costs, but others rely on legacy systems or

traditional methods to keep ship stores moving,

Beth Stevenson discovers.

14 BUMPY ROAD AHEAD

Contemporary threats have driven the ‘simple’

truck rom modern military operations. Faced with

shrinking budgets, some armies are adopting a high-

low mix to modernise their eets, reports Ian Kemp.

17 REFRESHING ACTIVITIES

As Asian navies increasingly look to project

capabilities beyond home waters, they are

upgrading their support at sea through the

acquisition o new replenishment vessels,

says Tim Fish.

1Volume 8 Number 1 | Spring 2013 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

www.mil-log.com

Front cover: KMW

personnel work alongside

German Army troops on

vehicle MRO. (Photo: KMW)EditorDarren [email protected]

Deputy Editor Tim [email protected]

North America Editor

Scott R [email protected] Tel: +1 (707) 822 7204

European EditorIan [email protected]

Staf ReportersBeth StevensonJonathan Tringham

Deence AnalystJoyce de Thouars

ContributorsClaire Apthorp, Angus Batey,Christopher F Foss, Richard Scott,Matthew Smith

Production ManagerDavid [email protected]

Sub-editorAdam Wakeling

Commercial ManagerJackie Hall [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1753 727009

Advertising Sales ExecutiveBrian [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)1753 727005

Editor-in-Chie Tony Skinner

Managing DirectorDarren Lake

Chairman

Nick Prest

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li i

21 THE LONG JOURNEY

Oten the unsung hero o the logistics chain, pallets

and cases are vital or the sae transportation o

equipment.Claire Apthorp explores the latest

products that ensure items are undamaged when

they reach the theatre o operations.

26 UPS AND DOWNS

Recent operational experiences have led to a

booming demand or climate control systems that

can both heat and cool deployed inrastructure and

vehicles. Scott R Gourley examines some innovative

solutions that also look to save energy.

DEPTH FORWARD

32 ADVANCED ANALYTICS

Tim Fish talks to Keith Lippert o Accenture about

how the company’s analytical solutions can improve

inventory management and increase efciencies in

the supply and procurement processes.




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EDITORIAL COMMENT

If a military wants to conduct operations

overseas at short notice and deliver a

rapid reaction force to theatre, then fielding a

real strategic airlift capability is paramount.

The delay in the Airbus Military A400M

programme – intended to revitalise European

capabilities – has had a direct impact on recent

operations, and the lack of a modern transport

aircraft was brought sharply into focus during

the French deployment to Mali.

Paris launched Operation Serval on

11 January to provide direct military assistance

to the Malian government in a rapidly

deteriorating situation. Fighter jets were able

to engage almost immediately from French

bases in Chad, but the transportation of a

total of 4,000 army personnel and their

equipment proved harder to achieve and

required the assistance of European and other

allies and commercial freight companies.

An initial 1,400 troops were flown out to

Bamako using the French Air Force’s A310 and

A340 airliners, but it had to rely on its CN235,

C-130 and ageing Transall C-160 aircraft for

tactical transport and resupply. With limited

strategic cargo capacity, commanders had to

look elsewhere.

France now has two light armoured

brigades, a parachute brigade and a

mechanised brigade along with supporting

elements in Mali. These units are equipped with

the AMX-10 and ERC 90 6x6 reconnaissance

vehicles, the VAB 4x4 armoured personnel

carrier, the VBCI 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle

and CAESAR and TRF1 155mm howitzers, as

well as mortars and helicopters. These assets

represented a significant tonnage that needed

to be transported.

A host of countries provided aircraft to

get French equipment to theatre, including

Belgian, Danish and Spanish C-130s, German

C-160s and Dutch KDC-10s. But many of these

transports are also due to be replaced by the

A400M, and have limited capacity.

The real difference came with the

deployment of C-17 Globemaster IIIs because

of their larger payload. The Royal Canadian Air

Force contributed one aircraft, Sweden offered

its NATO airlift capacity of one aircraft, and the

UK RAF and UAE Air Force provided two each.

Capable of transporting three times the cargo

of smaller tactical turboprops, they can lift

more equipment in one trip – for example the

first RAF C-17 was deployed to France on

13 January and landed in Bamako the following

day with three VAB vehicles in its hold.

SALIS SOLUTION

Furthermore, commercial aircraft have been

employed through NATO’s Strategic Airlift

Interim Solution (SALIS) to support Operation

Serval , with Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Airlines

providing An-124-100s, which have a carrying

capacity of 65t per flight. NATO established

the SALIS consortium in 2006 to charter the

Antonovs to cover the gap until delivery of the

A400M in 2013-14, with options to 2017.

The Mali deployment shows that whilst a

modern European air arm still has the capability

to deploy small-scale forces by air at short notice,

there will be an ever-increasing reliance on allied

and commercial support for the longer-term

sustainment of medium-sized operations. This

could become the norm as defence budgets

become increasingly strained and there is no

guarantee that large inventories of strategic

transport aircraft can be maintained.

Initial reports of French troops arriving

without the necessary equipment for the hot

weather indicate that carrying out even this

task was difficult to achieve, with officials

seeking last-minute assistance, exposing a

significant failure to provide sufficient air

transport to cover the delays to the A400M.

France is expected to buy a total of 50 A400M

aircraft, second only to Germany which wants

53, but the maiden flight of the first production

example did not occur until 7 March this year.

Initial deliveries will be four aircraft in 2013,

followed by eight in 2014, and production will

only ramp up from then on, so a significant

capability gap will continue for some years.

Deploying armoured vehicles by air is a

costly endeavour, and the success of the Serval

campaign was only achieved through the

goodwill of allies. Should the need for a similar

airlift materialise in the coming years, it

remains to be seen if this kind of international

logistics effort can be put together again to

support an operation of that size.

Tim Fish, Deputy Editor

‘The real differencecame with the deploymentof C-17 Globemaster IIIsbecause of their largerpayload.’

l Transport aircraft

l Logistics services

l Catering

l Medical support

MALIAN MALAISE

IN THE NEXT ISSUE


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NEWS

MRTT aircraft will help address RAAF airlift

capacity shortfalls. (Photo: ADF)

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has

declared initial operational capability (IOC) for its

Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport

(MRTT) aircraft.

The platform has been cleared for air-to-air

refuelling of RAAF F/A-18A/B Hornet fighter

aircraft following the participation of a KC-30A

and Hornets in Exercise Cope North on 4-15

February. As part of the exercise, seven F/A-18As,

one Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, one KC-30A and

a Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules were

deployed.

The fifth and final KC-30A was delivered to

the RAAF in December. Refuelling tests are now

under way with newer F/A-18F Super Hornets,

and these are expected to be completed

this year.

Further modification and testing is under

way with Boeing C-17 transport and Wedgetail

aircraft as part of the road towards full

operational capability, and eventually the

KC-30As will also be tested and cleared for

refuelling Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike

Fighter and Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft

as these are delivered.

Speaking at the Australian International

Airshow on 26 February, Defence Minister

Stephen Smith said IOC for the KC-30A was

part of a substantial improvement in

Australia’s airlift capability since the last show in

2011. The improvements included the

number of C-130J transport aircraft in RAAF

service overtaking the number of older

C-130Hs and the increase in the number of C-17s

to six, with the last being delivered in November

2012.

‘We have also placed an order for ten

[Alenia] C-27J tactical air transport aircraft,

providing capability across the spectrum,’

he said.

The first C-27J is expected to be delivered in

2015 as part of a A$1.4 billion order placed in

mid-2012 to replace capability provided by the

DHC-4 Caribou aircraft, which retired in 2009.

‘In 2006, the air force’s transport and airlift fleet

comprised 47 aircraft capable of carrying 3,775

passengers and over 650t of cargo in total,’

continued Smith. ‘When the C-27s commence

operations in 2016, the air force’s transport and

airlift fleet will comprise 46 aircraft capable of

carrying over 4,300 passengers and 950t of

cargo in total. That is around an overall 15%

increase in passenger capacity and a 30%

increase in cargo.

‘Additionally, the average age of the transport

and airlift fleet will have been reduced from

nearly 25 years to less than ten years. This

substantially enhances the Australian Defence

Force’s capability to deploy, whether

on operations overseas or in support of

humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

operations at home and abroad.’

By Damian Kemp, Geelong

deployed on the M113 armoured personnel

carrier command vehicle; and the Model 3310 –

a 20kW DC APU under development for possible

use on a future vehicle programme.

Dewey Electronics will also assume

responsibilities to maintain certain Goodman

Ball contracts with the US DoD that pertain

to the acquired product lines, taking possession

of the latter’s existing inventory stocks for

these on a consignment basis, and will pay

Goodman Ball as the inventory is sold to

customers.

Dewey Electronics has announced that it will be

expanding its military generator product lines

with the acquisition of certain assets, rights of

manufacture and intellectual property (IP)

from Goodman Ball. The company has signed a

definitive agreement to purchase these assets as

part of the ongoing liquidation of Goodman Ball

by its parent company CE Niehoff & Co.

The agreement will see Dewey Electronics

acquire the IP for two diesel generators intended

for use on military vehicles: the Model 4310 – a

5kW, 28V DC auxiliary power unit (APU) currently

John Dewey, president and CEO of

Dewey, said: ‘We are pleased to have an

opportunity to expand our business through

this agreement with Goodman Ball. And

we are excited to be adding these larger

DC APUs to our existing line of generators.

In addition to pursuing future sales for

these acquired models, we will also use

the underlying technology to develop new

larger hybrid diesel and battery-based

power solutions.’

By Claire Apthorp, London

RAAF OPERATIONAL WITH MRTT

DEWEY ELECTRONICS TO EXPAND MILITARY GENERATOR OFFERINGS


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NEWS

www.mil-log.com

It has emerged that the ongoing process

to equip the Afghan Air Force with Italian-

made C-27A tactical transport aircraft will

be terminated.

US DoD officials announced in mid-December

that a contract to maintain and support 20

refurbished C-27s for the Afghan military would

not be renewed when it expires in March.

Failure by prime contractor Alenia North

America to meet the requirements of the

contract was cited as the main reason leading to

its cancellation.

The Afghan MoD welcomed the termination

of the contract, as the majority of the transport

aircraft were unserviceable and stood idle on the

ramp of Kabul International Airport.

A lack of equipment, spare parts and

technical documentation has hampered the

Afghan C-27 programme from the beginning.

The entire fleet was grounded intermittently

during the period from December 2011 to

May 2012, and only four or five aircraft were

serviceable out of 16 delivered by late 2012.

The cargo aircraft were said to be prone to

fuel leaks, landing gear problems and engine

failure. Widespread cannibalisation of spare

parts further compounded the problems.

Despite all the challenges, an all-Afghan

aircrew of the Kabul Air Wing conducted its

first independent mission with the C-27 on

19 June 2012 under the auspices of the 438th Air

Expeditionary Advisory Group, part of NATO

Air Training Command-Afghanistan.

In September 2008, a $287 million fixed-price

contract was awarded to Alenia to provide

the then Afghan National Army Air Corps with

18 former Italian Air Force G222 twin turboprop

transport aircraft, designated as C-27As.

The aircraft were overhauled at Alenia’s

facilities at Capodichino airport near Naples, and

the first refurbished G222 returned to flight on

30 July 2009. Deliveries to Combined Security

Transition Command Afghanistan in Kabul,

which is in charge of rebuilding the Afghan

Air Force, commenced two months later,

with the first aircraft being handed over in

September 2009.

Two more were added to the contract in

September 2010. The last aircraft should have

been handed over in late 2011, but this proved

unfeasible.

The Italian Air Force withdrew its last

remaining G222 transport aircraft in 2005 when

its new C-27Js started to enter service. Never a

forgiving aircraft from a maintainer’s viewpoint,

serviceability problems with the G222 already

surfaced during its service life in Italy. Numerous

operational aircraft were often seen on the flight

ramp at Pisa missing essential equipment as

early as the mid-1990s.

The cancellation is another setback to the

US exit strategy of building capable and self-

sufficient Afghan security forces which can take

over from US and international troops leaving

the country.

By Pieter Bastiaans, Breda

AFGHAN AIR FORCEWELCOMES CANCELLATIONOF C-27 CONTRACT

NEWS ON THE WEB

M7 Aerospace wins BAE

Systems support contract

5 March 2013

Thales, Airbus Military selected

for UK A400M training contract

4 March 2013

Airbus expects A400M typecertification mid-year

26 February 2013

Arotech receives US Army

Swipes order

25 February 2013

A400M undergoes

cold weather testing

21 February 2013

UAE Air Force to receive

Airborne Systems’ GPADS

12 February 2013

Rolls-Royce to continue

USAF C-130J fleet support

11 February 2013

UAE receives first

A330 MRTT aircraft

6 February 2013

First F117 engines for India’s

C-17 aircraft delivered

5 February 2013

Details of Chinese Y-20 emerge

29 January 2013

IFS enhances supply chain

management offerings

24 January 2013

All these stories can be found

atwww.mil-log.com

The Afghan Air Force fleet of C-27As has been

plagued by serviceability problems, with few

aircraft operational. (Photo: USAF)



MRO

The maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)

of military vehicles is conducted at different

levels of depth depending on the work required

to bring an asset to operational standard. These

tasks are also often performed at different

locations, depending on where the vehicle is

deployed and the extent of the MRO work.

Army logistics units typically undertake

low-level cleaning and general maintenance

of vehicles in preparation for their missions,

but behind them is a support network of

specialist MRO companies and equipment

manufacturers that perform deeper level work

to varying degrees, keeping vehicles in-service

and operational.

These supporting companies often act as a

major prime contractor on a specific fleet of

vehicles or as the MRO contractor for an army

unit. Others work as sub-contractors, providing

in-theatre engineers with specialist knowledge

of vehicles or systems. A company’s level of

responsibility is determined by what level of

work the military units themselves are capable of

doing or want to achieve.

FULL SPECTRUM

Oshkosh Defense works at all levels as a

vehicle manufacturer, with facilities in Kuwait

and the US, and workshops and representatives

in-theatre in Afghanistan supporting US Army

vehicles close to the battlefield.

Mike Ivy, VP and general manager of army

programmes at the company, highlighted the

manufacturer’s re-capitalisation programme

for the 13.5t Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical

Truck (HEMTT) and the Palletized Load System

(PLS) 16.5t heavy high-mobility truck. He told

Military Logistics International : ‘We tear them

down to their frame rails and rebuild them into

the latest configuration, re-using as much of the

old truck as we can in the process.

‘Then we put that truck on our production line

where we assemble the new trucks, and it goes

down the same line. At the end of the process,

‘We tear them downand rebuild them intothe latest configuration,re-using as much of theold truck as we can.’

END OFTHE LINE?

To ensure that vehicles remain in service and operational,militaries must provide an extensive support network,comprising specialist MRO companies, OEMs and logisticsunits, discovers Tim Fish.

Field service representatives from Navistar

carry out work on a MaxxPro MRAP truck.

(Photo: Navistar)



MRO

the customer gets a like-new truck with a new

vehicle warranty and zero miles and hours on

the speedometer.’

This is the high end of the spectrum in

MRO operations, and is almost an upgrade

programme, because updated and modernised

components are often included, with the vehicle

returning to the fleet in the latest configuration

available. The company’s facility in Kuwait is a

regional centre that completes a medium-level

field reset.

Jeff Koga, associate VP of integrated product

support at Oshkosh, explained: ‘In the field reset,

we are not aiming to change the configuration

of the vehicle, we are simply trying to refurbish it

back to its original condition. So if you have a

HEMTT A2, we would be seeking to repair and

extend the service life of the item as an A2, and

not move it to an A4.’

The Kuwait facility runs the Theatre Provided

Equipment Refurbishment (TPER) programme,

supporting US and NATO forces when they were

in Iraq and now Afghanistan. In a four-year

period, Koga said that over 2,000 trucks across 24

different variants were reset in Kuwait, and even

reached a rate of 60 vehicles, while managing

20,000 lines of supply, per month.

IN-THEATRE SUPPORT

Oshkosh has also established workshops in

Afghanistan so that it can support vehicles in

the operational theatre. The advantages of

providing this level of reach close to the

battlefield is that MRO work is completed much

faster and the army gets its vehicle back and

working sooner.

Over time, the ability to conduct deeper level

maintenance at these facilities has increased.

Koga noted: ‘There are various types of armour

upgrades, mobility upgrades, putting different

sorts of integrated components on the vehicles

that require some changes to the trucks.’

The theatre workshops are arranged

differently to the standard factory assembly

system, which is used in a permanent facility,

where a truck would move from station to

station with the materiel fed through a line.

However, this is not possible in-theatre, as it is

neither easy nor cost-effective to establish a

moving assembly line. Lean operations were

established to create the required flow.

Koga explained: ‘We break down the structure

to make it the same planning as what we do in

the factory, we build all the work instructions,

look at the total time requirement, then we

break the work up into stations and match the

material plan and the tooling and manning

Workers from the UK’sDefence Services

Group conduct MRO on

British Army vehicles.

A Jackal can be seen in

the foreground.

(Photo: DSG)



MRO

8 MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Spring 2013 | Volume 8 Number 1 www.mil-log.com

by station. But in this case, we just move the

station and not the truck, and it creates a flow

that is field-expedient – you can set it up easily.’

The workshops are located on the military

FOBs, with the army logistics units next to their

maintenance areas, where the they will conduct

preventative and lower levels of corrective

maintenance. It is the army that decides whether

MRO on a vehicle is completed in-theatre, or if it

is sent to a regional facility or back to a factory in

the US.

Regarding the skill sets required to perform

different levels of MRO work, Ivy noted that this

changes depending on the size of the operation.

‘When an operation is small with a few vehicles,

you find a team that is a lot more generalist, and

each of the individuals will have a high level of

experience across multiple platforms,’ he said.

‘When you get to a medium-sized operation,

the tendency is to specialise more towards

platforms, so they will understand one more than

another. When you get to larger high-volume

operations, you are more focused around

the systems such as drive line, suspension

or electrical.’

END OF AN ERA

However, the trend pushing MRO work closer to

the battlefield is expected to reverse, according

to Ivy. The enduring situation in Afghanistan,

where it was more cost-effective to perform

MRO operations in-theatre while increasing the

battlefield readiness of the vehicles is coming to

an end.

‘As the drawdown in Afghanistan occurs and

we see the army taking decisions with respect

to whether a truck comes back [to the US] or

whether it stays in Kuwait or another pre-

position location, they are really making those

decisions now based on what they envision as

the requirements for stocks forward, and then

they will build a maintenance programme

around that,’ he added.

Lockheed Martin is also operating in

Afghanistan as a sub-contractor to ManTech

under a contract and logistic support services

programme for mine-resistant ambush-

protected (MRAP) vehicles. The company is

standing up around 100 FSRs that will work on

the FOBs from April alongside the military to

repair the platforms if they sustain damage

through general usage or battle.

The company’s main operation, however, is

at the US Army’s installation at Fort Stewart,

Georgia, where it has upwards of 150 personnel

and operates and runs the directorate of logistics

(DOL). All US Army installations have a DOL,

which focuses on the maintenance, supply

and transportation support of the wheeled

vehicle fleet.

Fort Stewart is home to the 3rd Infantry

Division and possesses most of the vehicle types

in the US Army’s inventory, including the Bradley

Fighting Vehicle, M113 and M1A1 Abrams main

battle tank as well as HMMWVs, MRAPs, power

generation equipment, 5t cargo trucks and semi-

trailer vehicles, bulldozers, scrapers, loaders,

communications units and artillery.

Mark Barbosa, business development lead

for army logistics at Lockheed Martin, told MLI

that while the army has a small-scale repair

capability, the company is responsible for higher

level MRO, including component repair and

replacement. If an engine part needs changing,

then Lockheed will perform that task – if the

entire engine is damaged, then the company

will replace the engine.

CALLING THE SHOTS

The same approach is taken with all parts of

the vehicles, from transmission to bodywork. If a

complete rebuild of the vehicle from the frame

upwards is required, then it is usually sent back

to the OEM.

‘The army determines what modifications are

done at our location, and they will provide the

kits and we provide the installation at our level,’

continued Barbosa. ‘It is the army’s call as to what

repair we do and what is done by the OEM.’

Although Lockheed maintains several variants

of vehicles at Fort Stewart, it is also responsible

for the MRO of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket

System and M270A1 launchers for the US Army,

USMC and international operators.

‘We have a combination of organic and

inorganic support,’ explained Becky Withrow,

business development manager for missiles and

fire control at the company. ‘They do the chassis

work on both vehicles and we do the launcher/

loader module and fire control system… We also

do some work with depots to do some repairs,

[and] have FSRs that deploy with various units.’

BAE Systems partners with various depots in

the US and internationally in its maintenance

activities. The company supports all levels of

MRO work on its platforms, including the Bradley

Fighting Vehicle, M88A2, Paladin, M113, Caiman

The M113A2 Mk 1 APC,

supported in-theatre

by BAE Systems.

(Photo: BAE Systems)

An Oshkosh facility in Afghanistan. The vehicle bays each

contain a workstation and an M-ATV. (Photo: Oshkosh)



MRO

www.mil-log.com

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and RG-33 in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, South

Africa, Sweden, the UK and the US.

In the US, the company works with the

Anniston Army Depot and Red River Army

Depot for MRO work on its platforms in the US

Army inventory. According to BAE, the decision

whether to perform MRO work at its own facility

or at the depots depends on capacity constraints

and the preferred solution of the US Army as

the customer.

COMMERCIAL CROSSOVER

As a producer of commercial trucks, buses

and engines, Navistar has drawn upon its

commercial expertise and facilities to support

military vehicles. It has FSRs that are able

to support vehicles in-theatre and perform

complete retrofits and upgrades.

At a deeper level, Navistar has set up operations

in West Point, Mississippi. At the facility, the

company has completed a retrofit to upgrade

more than 2,000 MaxxPro MRAP vehicles. The

manufacturer said that the use of a ‘bolt-on’

design allowed the lifting of the crew capsule

from the vehicle chassis, and a completely new

chassis with independent suspension and a new

engine, along with other improvements, was

provided to improve the performance of the

vehicle in rough terrain.

After the body swap, a survivability upgrade

that focused on blast deflection was started. This

method was preferred to additional armour as it

improved protection without increasing the

weight of the vehicle.

Navistar’s International 7000-MV trucks, which

serve as water tankers, fuel trucks and wreckers;

and the 5000-MV trucks, used as heavy

transports, are also utilised in Afghanistan.

While US Army vehicles are supported via

the service’s own supply chain, the platforms

sold to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of an

FMS agreement use Navistar’s own commercial

supply chain.

In the British Army, maintenance and repair is

categorised into four levels: Level 1 – servicing and

day-to-day preparation; Level 2 – maintenance

by replacement, adjustment or minor repair;

Level 3 – repair, partial reconditioning and



MRO

modification; and Level 4 – full reconditioning,

major conversions or base overhaul (commonly

referred to as depth repair).

The state-owned entity Defence Support

Group (DSG) provides civilian support to the

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

(REME) units of the British Army. The REME

usually provide Level 1 and 2 support to the

army, with the DSG providing 3 and 4. However,

in recent years, the DSG has increased the levels

of support it is providing.

Keith Norris, strategy director at DSG, toldMLI

that the operational tempo of British forces has

allowed the DSG to take an increasing role both

in-theatre and in the UK. ‘In terms of being in

training back in the UK, the world has changed

slightly,’ he said. ‘The army is trying to adopt a

training pool, which we sustain and provide with

a level of readiness, where we might do levels 1,

2 and 3. The object being the army comes for

training, the vehicles are there, they all work as

they are supposed to and we have a more

optimised service.’

AT FULL STEAM

At Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, a workshop

has been in place since 2009 under the UK

MoD’s Equipment Sustainability System

Regional Capability contract. Dave Carter,

business development manager at DSG, said:

‘Since 2010, we have been running at full steam

and have regenerated more than 220 protected

military platforms already.

‘Over time, we have been there to pick up

the slack if the REMEs are distracted on other

activities, and that is when we have found

ourselves getting more involved in the first- and

second-line role.’

The initial workforce was around 30 personnel,

however Norris said that because of demand

in-theatre, this has grown to more than 100 and is

expected to increase further as the drawdown in

Afghanistan gathers pace. The DSG is also

contracted to manage the redeployment of the

army’s vehicle fleet as it returns to the UK, but

there are challenges because many of the existing

stocks were purchased by the MoD through

UORs with little or no thought towards future

sustainment of the platform, and therefore have

no existing support structure.

Consequently, as well as working with existing

suppliers, such as BAE Systems and Lockheed

Martin, on the army’s A vehicle (tracked) and B

vehicle (wheeled) fleets, the DSG is also

collaborating with ‘new’ OEMs like NP, Force

Protection and Supacat, which have provided

protected mobility platforms, including the

Mastiff, Jackal and Foxhound. However, Norris

said the MoD has yet to determine depth repair

arrangements for these vehicles, but it is expected

they will be integrated into the core equipment

fleet.

Under the ‘British Army 2020’ strategy,

102,000 personnel will be reduced to 82,000,

and to support this downsizing more support

will be required from the civil sector under the

‘total support force’ concept.

‘[The DSG] has a total of 42 little enclaves or

big sites – that is quite a big footprint across the

UK, and we have one or two big factories and a

number of outlying stations, quite often shared

with the army themselves… so we are very

interested to see what the army footprint will be

under Army 2020,’ added Norris.

The MoD is running a competition to sell the

DSG in the 2014-2015 time frame. Norris said:

‘We are waiting for the sale programme to

become more visible as it is still in the planning

phase. In the next 18 months, we need to move

to the physical completion of the sale. At the

moment, there is no preferred bidder.’

GERMAN SUPPORT

German vehicle manufacturer Krauss-Maffei

Wegmann (KMW) supports the Boxer wheeled

vehicles used by the German Armed Forces in

Afghanistan. Maintenance is provided by KMW

service technicians in Mazar e-Sharif, who have a

service availability target of 80%. They are able to

provide initial diagnostics, maintenance and

repair of vehicles and weapon stations, on-site

component repair and any upgrades. The

technicians are also contracted to provide

training for soldiers at no extra cost.

KMW has a system of ‘multi-boxes’ aligned

with the Boxer vehicle to ensure a sufficient

supply of spare parts in Mazar e-Sharif. The

multi-boxes are a container-based integrated

logistics solution designed for this specific

deployment, and include both large and

small parts as well as a Boxer powerpack.

The stores are managed through KMW’s

warehouse management software to keep track

of inventories and orders.

KMW also supports the Dutch Army Fennek

wheeled vehicles under a framework agreement

signed in 2009. The KMW technical service

provides spare parts, provisioned in Kölleda,

Germany, which acts as a logistics hub, and also

trains users on the maintenance and repair of

the vehicle. The service has also provided

in-theatre support to Dutch forces at Camp Deh

Rawod in Afghanistan.

In Finland, the Finnish Defence Force

(FDF) outsourced its depot-level equipment

maintenance work to Patria subsidiary Millog

under a public-private partnership arrangement

in 2009. This consists of general maintenance

of all the vehicles in the FDF with the use of

subcontractors to support specialist work.

As an OEM, Patria also provides a system

approach for its products that is an end-to-end

life-cycle support process. According to Petri

Jokinen, VP of life-cycle support at the company,

the advantage of this is that ‘everything related

to the system can be reached via a single source’.

He said: ‘MRO has been one of the fastest

growing business areas in the military industry

for several years. The global economic recession

has compelled armies to find solutions to

how to maintain and improve their operational

capability for less money. Armed forces are

now balancing between new vehicle fleet

acquisitions and prolonging the life cycle of

existing vehicle fleets and additionally improving

them at the same time.’ MLI

Personnel on the

pulse line overhaul

British Army Warrior

IFVs at DSG’s Donnington

plant. (Photo: DSG)



To retain their technological and tactical

advantage, modern navies are procuring a

range of next-generation ships that employ the

latest operational concepts and system designs

to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

One area of advancement is the development

of stores management subsystems aboard

various platforms. These are becoming more

sophisticated in order to reduce the logistics

burden on the ship’s crew and allow the vessel to

carry out its mission more effectively.

Onboard stores management systems assist

control and movement of supplies and weapons

within the hull to ensure more efficient storage

and parts tracking. One of the latest such systems

is the Highly Mechanised Weapons Handling

System (HMWHS), which is being built for the UK

Royal Navy’s (RN’s) two new Queen Elizabeth-

class aircraft carriers.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) of 1998

announced that the RN would transition from

Cold War-era anti-submarine missions to focus

on maritime air power, aided by the introduction

of two new 65,000t carriers.

The ships, named HMS Queen Elizabeth

and Prince of Wales, were to replace the smaller

20,000t Invincible-class carriers by 2020. BAE

Systems Marine, Thales and Babcock, through

the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, were contracted to

develop the vessels.

‘The emphasis is now on increased offensive

air power, and an ability to operate the largest

possible range of aircraft in the widest possible

range of roles,’ the SDR explained. The carriers

can embark up to 40 aircraft, comprising 36

F-35B short take-off/vertical landing Joint Strike

Fighters and four helicopters including the new

Wildcat and Merlin.

However, cuts introduced in the latest

Strategic Defence and Security Review in

2010 mean that one carrier may never enter

service, and the remaining ship is likely to operate

with a reduced air wing or be employed in an

amphibious warfare role. This could mean the

carrier would also embark Chinook heavy-lift

helicopters and Apache attack helicopters.

WEAPONS MIX

The offensive elements of this aircraft mix use a

variety of different weapons payloads for air

superiority and ground attack missions, so

BELOW DECKS

The cargo lift on a USN Nimitz -class ship.

New aircraft carriers will use advanced

automated inventory management and

stores handling systems. (Photo: USN)

Logistics systems for some classes of naval vessel are becoming

more automated to drive down costs, but others rely on legacy

systems or traditional methods to keep ship stores moving,

Beth Stevenson discovers.

STORES MANAGEMENT



the HMWHS is designed to ensure that all these

munitions can be stored safely and efficiently

while remaining easily and rapidly available

when operations commence.

HMWHS uses all-electric controls that are

commonly found in warehouses. The system has

been developed by Babcock, and it will be the

first time an application of this type has been

fitted for stores handling on a naval vessel.

The system was developed as a result of a

demand for automation and reduced manning

levels to encourage cost savings throughout

the service life of the ships. HMWHS introduces

mechanical handling for moving palletised

munitions, and weapons lifts that connect the

carrier’s magazine, hangar, weapons preparation

areas and flight deck.

According to Babcock, the system permits an

estimated 65% reduction in manpower, enabling

a crew of similar size to that of the Invincible-class

carriers (one of which remains in service) to

operate a vessel that is considerably larger.

With automation, a large number of munitions

can be delivered rapidly to their desired location

faster than previously possible, and space in the

hold can be saved as there is less need for access

lanes for forklift trucks and other manned vehicles.

This additional space can be used to store an

increased volume of cargo in the same area.

The system comprises two overlaying rail

systems, one that runs fore and aft and the other

from port to starboard, using a rack and pinion

drive. More than 50 platforms called ‘moles’ are

fitted with adjustable connectors to attach to any

payload, and can manoeuvre using the rack and

pinion, following dedicated routes to access all

areas within the storage bay and between decks

via lift access points.

Each mole can attach to a payload and move it

out of the magazine to any area covered by its

rack and pinion network, or transfer it to another

mole to allow the stores to be transferred into

another part of the ship and delivered to a

manned station.

‘The different shapes of the two mole versions

enable the palletised munitions to be lifted and

lowered in the correct orientation onto the set

stowage and transfer positions, and the moles’

electric traverse and lift drives allow accurate

position control of the payload within the

magazine,’ Tim Pocock, projects director at

Babcock, told Military Logistics International .

To maximise storage density, common pallets

are used to hold a range of shapes, sizes and

masses of munitions. This provides the flexibility

to accommodate any future weapons or other

items, provided they fit within the pallet footprint.

Pallets are stowed using ISO container locks, or

temporarily located at transfer points on pins to

provide positional control for onward handling

and secure them against the ship’s motion.

KEY COMPONENTS

Key components are the integrated control

system, the unmanned magazines and control

of the moles from a central location. The crew

only need to get involved when munitions

are being prepared for storage or use at the

installation end. This improves the speed of

stores retrieval, saving the time that would be

spent sending a manned forklift to locate and

collect the item.

The inventory management system uses radio

frequency tagging to track a pallet’s location.

Each pallet has a memory chip that contains

information about its own movements and the

types of stores that it has carried. It also holds

detailed information about the quality of the

stores, such as the net explosive content of

weapons material.

A full-size prototype of HMWHS has been

successfully tested in a factory environment

as well as on the UK MoD’s rolling platform

facility at Boscombe Down. Live testing took

place in 2006 during a two-three week period

to validate overall capability as part of the

risk mitigation plan to increase the system’s

technology readiness level.

Pocock said that the final set of the 38

hydraulically operated HMWHS lift doors for

both carriers was delivered in January. Overhead

handlers for the preparation areas and stores are

the last component to be completed, and will be

delivered towards the end of the installation

phase (ie 2015 for the first carrier and 2018 for the

second). Commissioning and commissioning

support is expected to last up to 18 months as

part of the whole ship process.

‘The design is such that it is intended to be

maintained through the life of the vessel,’ Pocock

added. ‘There are no planned refits or upgrades,

just general maintenance to keep it operational

with any more significant overhaul required to be

undertaken during major refit periods.’

FORD FOCUS

The USN is also acquiring new aircraft carriers,

the Gerald R Ford class that will eventually

replace the existing Nimitz class. Huntington

Heavy Industries (HII) is already building the first

three on a five-year drumbeat, with Gerald R Ford

(CVN-78) expected to enter service in 2015,

followed by John F Kennedy (CVN-79) in 2020

and Enterprise (CVN-80) in 2025.

STORES MANAGEMENT

The RAN’sCanberra-class LHDs willuse traditional methods of moving

equipment around on their cargo decks.

(Photo: Navantia)



STORES MANAGEMENT

www.mil-log.com

The ships will incorporate the same weapon

stores management application – the Aviation

Weapons Information Management System

(AWIMS) – used on the Nimitz class as it is not

platform-specific and can be applied to a variety

of hull designs to manage inventories.

‘AWIMS was developed as an inventory

management application for weapons under the

Aviation Data Management and Control System

(ADMACS) programme, which is an aviation data

management and control system across different

ship platforms,’ a spokeswoman from Naval Sea

Systems Command (NAVSEA), told MLI .

AWIMS is an application under ADMACS that is

being provided to HII as a government-furnished

system, and its detailed technical requirements

are incorporated in those for ADMACS.

FLOW PATH

In addition to AWIMS, the CVN-78 design has a

more efficient weapons flow path and faster

elevators. ‘The handling path, transfer points and

new elevators, along with AWIMS, will be able to

handle weapon systems for the foreseeable

future,’ the spokeswoman said.

‘CVN-78 supply department manpower

requirements for logistics-related tasks were

defined not only by the management functions,

but also by the physical effort required to

receive, store, retrieve and expend consumables

and repair parts,’ she continued. ‘The ship’s

compartment arrangement, designed for more

efficient movement of stores to their points of

use, new elevators to allow transfer of entire

pallets of equipment, and AWIMS together allow

a smaller crew to perform the same tasks more

effectively and efficiently.’

AWIMS functionality is needed to ensure an

accurate real-time status log of available

weapons to support mission tasking. It is

designed to remain on the carrier through its

life cycle, and will require periodic upgrades to

refresh hardware and update software to

account for new inventory items throughout the

50-year career of the carrier.

Meanwhile, on other large-deck naval

platforms like amphibious assault ships, stores

handling systems are more traditional. This is

because these vessels have large cargo bay

holds below decks to transport vehicles,

equipment and personnel to theatre and

deploy them, which is a different role to an

aircraft carrier.

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has designed

and built the hulls of the Royal Australian

Navy’s (RAN’s) two new Canberra-class Landing

Helicopter Docks (LHDs). The design is based on

the SPS Juan Carlos I LHD already in service

with the Spanish Navy. The difficulties the RAN

experienced in deploying and supporting forces

in East Timor and the wider Asia-Pacific region led

directly to the acquisition of the new ships.

To support the movement of equipment,

stores and munitions around the ship, the

LHDs are fitted with numerous cranes and

elevators including: gantry cranes; boom

cranes; aircraft elevators; a vehicle elevator;

cargo elevators; provisions elevators; personnel

elevators (including a hospital elevator); an

ammunition elevator; a dumb waiter; and

numerous miscellaneous cranes/hoists.

‘Further movement of vehicles and goods

into, out of and through the heavy vehicle

garage, light vehicle garage, hangar and well

dock is facilitated by a series of vehicle ramps,’ an

Australian defence spokeswoman told MLI .

MOVING CHALLENGE

For the LHDs, the real challenge is moving

equipment on and off the ship for operational

deployment, possibly in hostile conditions.

‘The LHDs use the inventory management

systems common to the wider Australian

Defence Force. Additional interfaces to the

ship stability and load-out software are enabled

to manage the effect of movement of large

volumes/weights of items onto, through and off

the ships.’

The LHDs have two aircraft elevators – one

aft of the flight deck and one forward of

the island on the starboard side – that can

accommodate medium-sized helicopters,

with the aft lift able to handle larger types such

as the CH-47. Both elevators service the hangar

and light vehicle/cargo deck, while the forward

one has a dual role for moving stores and

personnel.

There is a cargo lift that can be used to transfer

20ft ISO containers and vehicles up to a weight

of 16t between the heavy and light vehicle decks,

and there are lifts for ammunition, provisions and

casualties. Up to 110 vehicles, depending on size

and configuration, can be loaded across the two

vehicle decks.

‘The arrangement of elevators, lifts, cranes

and ramps has been designed to facilitate the

rapid loading, movement, distribution, storage

and unloading of items,’ the spokeswoman

added. MLI

‘To maximise storagedensity, common palletsare used to hold a range

of shapes, sizes andmasses of munitions.’

A ‘mole’ next to a lift area on the rack-and-

pinion rail system in Babcock’s HMWHS,

developed for the RN’s new Queen Elizabeth-

class carriers. (Image: Babcock)

The Australian Department of Defence’s 2009

white paper, ‘Defending Australia in the Asia-

Pacific Century: Force 2030’, stated: ‘Our capacity

to deploy and sustain land forces from the sea

will be substantially enhanced when the two

new Landing Helicopter Dock amphibious ships

enter service in the coming decade.’

The ships will embark helicopters and carry

vehicles and other cargo with the capability to

deploy them ashore without the need for port

infrastructure, primarily via heavy landing craft.

The nature of the operations and the type of

equipment carried mean that the LHDs do not

require a sophisticated stores system relying on

elevators and lifts.



TACTICAL VEHICLES

A

Rand Corporation report on tactical

wheeled vehicles (TWVs) published in 2011,

which helped the US Army develop its fleet,

stated: ‘The army’s medium and heavy [TWV]

fleets (both active and reserve components) are

critical to sustaining its global operations; these

are the vehicles that move supplies and

equipment to and around the battlespace.’

This observation is true of any military force

which aspires to even a modest expeditionary

capability, and the changes to vehicle

requirements for combat operations were

noted in the US Army’s 2011 TWV strategy: ‘The

role of the army truck has evolved significantly

from its origin as a simple transport. This

evolution has resulted in a dramatic increase

in truck costs – to meet the threat on today’s

battlefields, trucks must now be armoured, have

the additional capacity and power to carry that

armour, and be outfitted with a wide variety of

[C4ISR] equipment.’

SPENDING TROUGH

The surge in funding which characterised the

first decade of America’s war on terrorism has

come to an end, and all programmes will be

affected. The DoD’s most recent selected

acquisition report, published in March 2012,

noted that the cost of the army’s Family of

Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) project had

been reduced by 10.5% to $16.76 billion,

primarily because the quantity ordered had

been cut by 7,463 trucks to 80,376.

The FMTV performs over 55% of the army’s

local, line haul and unit resupply missions in

combat, combat support and combat service

support units. FMTV is a complete series of trucks

and trailers, based on a common chassis, that

vary by payload and mission. The Light Medium

Tactical Vehicle (cargo and van models) has a 2.5t

capacity, while the 5t capacity Medium Tactical

Vehicle (MTV) comes in cargo, tractor, van,

wrecker, load handling and dump truck models.

Other variants provide airdrop capability for

contingency and rapid deployment operations.

Stewart & Stevenson, since acquired by BAE

Systems, produced the first FMTV A0 in 1991 at its

plant in Sealy, Texas. However, following the

success of Oshkosh Defense in the 2010-15 FMTV

re-compete, production has shifted to that

company’s Wisconsin plant. Here, Oshkosh builds

the MTV Replacement and Logistic Vehicle

System Replacement for the USMC and the

Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles for the US Army.

Maj Gen Harold Greene, deputy for

acquisition and systems management in the

Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army,

told attendees at the AUSA 2013 Winter

Symposium in February: ‘Over the past ten

years the army has gotten pretty healthy in

medium and heavy trucks, but in another ten

years the fleet will be halfway through its useful

economic life.’ The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle,

intended to replace the light High Mobility

Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, is the only new

TWV project planned in the near future by the

army or marines.

Mike Ivy, VP and general manager for army

programmes at Oshkosh Defense, said the

BUMPYROAD AHEADContemporary threats have driven the ‘simple’ truck from modern military operations. Faced with

shrinking budgets, some armies are adopting a high-low mix to modernise their fleets, reports Ian Kemp.

Navistar has

supplied 1,300trucks for the

MilCOTS portion

of Canada’s MSVS

programme. (Photo:

Canadian DND)



TACTICAL VEHICLES

www.mil-log.com

‘In another ten yearsthe fleet will be halfway

through its usefuleconomic life.’

company’s military production output, which was

also buoyed by the MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle in

FY2010-11, will drop dramatically from 2013. He

urged the DoD to invest ‘seed funding’ to define

future requirements for the next generation

of TWVs, and highlighted three areas for R&D

investment: survivability solutions; autonomy; and

use of condition-based maintenance (CBM). Ivy

pointed out that engines and transmissions

derived from the company’s commercial vehicles

are CBM-ready, as the technology is already

employed by civilian fleet operators. The DoD

is also investing in research to improve fuel

efficiency, a crucial consideration given the costs

and risks inherent in delivering fuel supplies to

forward deployed forces.

AUSTRALIAN OVERLANDER

US truck manufacturers, faced with declining

domestic orders, will in future have to rely on

FMS and direct exports like their European

counterparts, which traditionally have never

depended solely on home markets. Germany’s

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV)

has enjoyed significant export success and is

anticipating a contract, through its subsidiary

RMMV Australia, to supply up to 3,700 protected

and unprotected medium and heavy vehicles to

the Australian Army. The A$3 billion (US$3.07

billion) Project Land 121, also known as

Overlander, will modernise Australia’s TWV fleet

in several phases:

• Phase 2A will enhance the current vehicle

capability for heavy recovery and bulk liquid

transport.

• Phase 3A covers the acquisition of 1,187

unprotected Mercedes G-Class light utility

vehicles, with modules and trailers, while

Phase 5A covers another 959 for tactical

training.

• Phase 3B covers approximately 2,700 medium

and heavy trucks with 1,300 protected for

operational deployment, while Phase 5B

covers another 1,000 for tactical training.

• Phase 4 will provide the core of the

operationally deployable light protected

vehicle fleet, covering the acquisition of

around 1,300 vehicles and trailers.

It was announced in December 2011 that

RMMV Australia was the preferred bidder for

Phases 3B and 5A, with contract approval

expected this year.

RMMV’s proposal is based on its successful

HX series of military trucks, 60,000 of which

are operated by over 50 armed forces. The

HX Medium Mobility vehicle, along with the SX

Improved Medium Mobility vehicle, represents

the core of the UK MoD’s Support Vehicle project.

MAN ERF UK was awarded a £1 billion ($1.51

billion) contract in April 2005 to supply 4,851

trucks, 314 recovery vehicles and 69 recovery

trailers to the British armed forces. This was

followed in June 2006 by a £250 million option

for a further 2,077 vehicles. The project remains

the largest military truck programme in Europe.

The models selected for Overlander are the

4x4 HX60 and 6x6 HX58 variants. The standard

HX60 has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 18t,

including a 6t payload, and is capable of a top

speed of over 90km/h. The HX60 is powered by a

water-cooled, six-cylinder MAN D0836 diesel

engine with direct fuel injection. For increased

interoperability, it can be supplied with the larger

six-cylinder MAN D2066 fitted to the HX58 or 8x8

HX77. The HX60 can ford water obstacles up to

1.2m deep and with additional preparation it can

cross depths of 1.5m and is air-transportable by

C-130. The HX58 has a GVW of 27.5t, including a

9t payload, and can also achieve speeds in excess

of 90km/h. All RMMV vehicles are available with a

modular or integrated armour cabin providing

NATO STANAG 4569 Class 3 ballistic protection

and Class 3b mine/IED blast protection.

Australia has selected RMMV’s 4x4 HX60

and 6x6 HX58 to replace the army’s existing

tactical truck fleet. (Photo: RMMV)



TACTICAL VEHICLES

With a gross train weight of 130t, the HX77 is

the heavyweight of the HX series, designed to

serve either as a semi-trailer or transporter to

carry main battle tanks off-road to and from their

area of operations. The Australian Army does

not require tank transporters in the short term,

however, following its acquisition of 16 MAN TGA

8x8 tractor trucks and Drake trailers in 2005

to support its new fleet of General Dynamics

M1A1 Abrams.

CANADA HIGH

The Canadian Army’s 2,770 Military Logistics

Vehicle Wheeled trucks were officially declared

obsolete in 2008, and the service has decided to

replace them with a mixed fleet of less expensive

militarised COTS (MilCOTS) trucks under its

Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) project.

This will equip reserve units for training and

domestic operations and provide a more

expensive Standard Military Pattern (SMP)

truck for expeditionary operations. Daimler,

Renault and RMTT from Europe, and BAE

Systems, Navistar and Oshkosh from the US are

competing for the SMP requirement.

For the MilCOTS element, Navistar was

awarded a contract in January 2009 to supply

1,300 Workstar 7400 vehicles in six config-

urations. Deliveries took place from July 2009

to March 2011. The company has already

produced nearly 9,000 MTVs (the designation for

MilCOTS 7000-series vehicles) for Afghan forces

under US government contracts since 2004,

and has delivered another 14,000 to military

customers including Canada, Israel, Iraq, Jordan

and Taiwan. In February 2013 the US Army

awarded Navistar a $23 million urgent delivery

contract to supply 205 armoured cabs for fitting

on Afghan vehicles in place of the existing

commercial ones.

For the second phase of the MSVS procure-

ment, DEW Engineering and Development

received a C$130 million (US$127 million)

contract in August 2009 for 895 Special

Equipment Vehicle baseline shelters in six

variants for use with the newly acquired MilCOTS

vehicles and in-service and future SMP vehicles.

Four companies – Armatec Survivability, DEW,

Gichner Shelter Systems and Marshall Specialist

Vehicles – were pre-qualified to bid for a separate

contract to equip 868 shelters as workshops,

offices and medical/dental facilities. DEW was

also chosen for this phase in early 2013 with a

contract expected imminently as this issue went

to press. Deliveries, originally scheduled to run

from early 2013 to late 2016, are expected to slip

several months because of the delay in awarding

a contract.

The SMP portion of the project, which has

already slipped a couple of years, is also subject

to further delay. The Department of National

Defence (DND) announced last July that it had

cancelled the original December 2011 RfP in order

to ‘re-evaluate’ the process – much to the

frustration of the army. The SMP requirement is

for up to 1,537 vehicles with an 8-10t payload

capacity in five variants: standard cargo; cargo

with material handling crane; load handling

system; cargo mobile repair truck; and gun tractor.

A long-term in-service support arrangement for

the vehicles will also be included. Contracts were

also expected for up to 202 SMP load handling

system trailers and up to 157 SMP armour

protection kits. Procurement and army officials

met with industry representatives from 17-23

January to prepare a new RfP.

HEAVY WEIGHTS

To meet an urgent need for an armoured heavy

support vehicle for operation in Afghanistan, the

DND awarded Mercedes-Benz a C$87 million

contract in May 2007 for 82 8x8 Actros vehicles

in four major variants: 25 cargo vehicles with a

material handling crane (eight as gun tractors for

the BAE Systems M777A1 155mm howitzer); five

recovery variants; 12 tank transporter tractors;

and 40 Palletized Loading System (PLS) vehicles

with container handling units. All vehicles are

fitted with an armoured cab developed by

South Africa’s Land Mobility Technologies

and were used extensively from mid-2008 until

the end of the Canadian combat mission in

Afghanistan in 2011. The vehicles have a life

expectancy out to 2019, when the army plans

to replace them under its Logistics Vehicle

Modernization (LVM) project.

LVM is intended to replace the army’s fleet of

about 2,800 Light Support Vehicle Wheeled

(LSVW) and 1,200 Heavy Logistics Vehicle

Wheeled (HLVW). The LSVWs are due to leave

service from 2015 and will be replaced with a

Combat Logistics Support Vehicle (CLSV) with a

2.2-3.5t payload. Like the MSVS project, the CLSV

requirement is to be split into the acquisition

of medium mobility MilCOTS for training and

domestic operations and an improved SMP

for expeditionary operations that are C-130-

transportable and armour protected.

The HLVWs will leave service from 2020 and

will be replaced with a new truck able to carry

a 16t payload. This requirement includes four

variants: cargo; cargo with crane; PLS; and tractor.

Vehicles for expeditionary operations will be

able to accept STANAG 4569 Level 3 ballistic

protection, although the requirement for

Level 2a/2b mine blast protection is yet to

be confirmed. The LVM project is scheduled

to receive preliminary approval from the

government by July 2013, with an RfP expected

by mid-2014 and initial deliveries in mid-2016.

However, the protracted nature of the MSVS

project would suggest this timetable is unlikely to

be achieved. MLI

Budget constraints have forced the US Army

to cut its planned FMTV purchase by almost

10%. (Photo: US Army)



SUPPORT VESSELS

1Volume 8 Number 1 | Spring 2013 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONALwww.mil-log.com

R eplenishment ships are a valuable

logistical asset for naval forces if they want

their warships to traverse longer distances and

support operations far from home in overseas

theatres. There is no set definition for this type

of warship – they mainly focus on carrying fuel,

but also other stores such as foodstuffs, military

equipment and personnel.

These vessels are not just naval versions of

commercial tankers, they are specialised ships

designed for the military support role. Because of

these capabilities, the replenishment ship itself is

a floating asset that can be used as a tool for

other missions, deploying by itself in safe areas

or attached to a multinational force to support

other navies, and often supporting ground

forces ashore.

GETTING ACCESS

The logistics element of a naval force is often a

secondary consideration, with the primary

focus being on acquiring warfighting vessels

and other frontline ships. However, if a navy

wants those frontline ships to deploy outside of

home waters for any length of time, then they

will need access to a friendly port in order to

refuel and replenish supplies.

Access to ports is not always guaranteed,

and it can divert ships away from the mission for

considerable periods, reducing time on station. A

replenishment ship is a national asset, and it can

accompany the warship throughout its mission,

provide additional assets and perform refuelling

and resupply while under way.

Within Asia, the requirement for replenish-

ment ships has been limited. Naval forces are

primarily positioned for self-defence and have

little need to deploy outside of the region. Even

a country like Japan with a modern navy (known

as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force) is

prevented from engaging in military action by its

own constitution.

Even the deployment of replenishment

ships to the Indian Ocean in support of

NATO operations in Afghanistan has been a

controversial political issue in the country.

However, with economic prosperity and the

desire to protect maritime resources and sea lines

of communications, countries are expanding their

horizons, and navies are reaching out further.

As one of the countries with a rapidly growing

navy, India has recently acquired two new

replenishment ships from Italian shipbuilder

Fincantieri. The two Deepak -class vessels INS

Deepak and INS Shakti replace the older Shakti ,

which was coming to the end of its service life. At

175m in length and displacing 27,500t, they

are fitted with four replenishment-at-sea (RAS)

stations – two on the beam and two on the stern

– and can fuel three ships simultaneously and

transfer solid loads up to 2t in a single movement.

Each Deepak -class ship has a total carrying

capacity of 17,900t, comprising 12,000t of fuel,

2,300t of aviation fuel, 2,000t of water and 1,000t

of lubricants. There is also space for 200t of

ammunition, 150t of provisions, 20t of stores and

eight mission-adaptable TEU containers located

on deck.

A spokesperson from Fincantieri described to

Military Logistics International a typical resupply

operation: ‘The replenishment ships have at least

one frame per side (usually two) above the

weather deck from which a steel wire is led to a

dedicated hook installed in the receiving ship –

this wire has to be maintained at the same

REFRESHINGACTIVITIES As Asian navies increasingly look to project capabilities beyond home waters, they are upgrading their

support at sea through the acquisition of new replenishment vessels, says Tim Fish.

INS Shakti refuels a

US aircraft carrier,

providing a key

replenishment

capability.

(Photo: Fincantieri)



SUPPORT VESSELS

strain independently from the relative motions

between the two ships. Dedicated systems are

installed for this purpose.

‘By means of this wire, hoses for fuel, oil,

kerosene and water are passed from the

replenishment ship to the receiving one and

are connected to standardised quick-release

connections – using the same wire, it’s possible to

transport spare parts or, in general, solid loads.’

FACILITY FEATURES

The facilities include: a 30t-capacity hydraulic

deck crane with an operative radius of 4-18m for

harbour cargo operations; a 7t-capacity lift for

provisions and ammunition handling; and a 2t

lift for ammunition handling. There is space for

248 passengers, and a medical surgery with two

operating theatres and eight beds is also fitted.

There are four reverse osmosis desalination

plants that can each provide 30t of water per day

and two automatic diesel-oil boilers for hot water

production. There are also two 6.5m-long rigid

inflatable boats with 90hp and two 4m inflatable

boats with 25hp. The ships have a flight deck for

Chetak and Sea King helicopters and for vertical

replenishment.

Noting that the capabilities of replenishment

ships cannot be replicated by commercial

tankers or support ships, the spokesperson

added: ‘Replenishment operations can be

performed only by specialised ships designed for

this purpose and having common standards

in terms of connections and devices with the

receiving ship. All the ships belonging to NATO

are in compliance with the ATP 16 RAS standard,

issued by the NATO Standardization Agency.

Moreover, this standard has also become used

and valid for many other navies not belonging to

NATO, eg the Indian Navy.

‘Considering the configuration and facilities

described, it’s clear that commercial vessels are

unable to perform replenishment operations –

it’s also evident that, having the same standards,

it’s possible to rely on a replenishment vessel of

other allied navies involved in the same mission

or available in the same area.’

The other major naval force in Asia is the

People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy of China,

which has aspirations for regional dominance

and expansion. Recent naval expansion has

included deployments to the Gulf of Aden to

support international counter-piracy missions.

Since 2008, the PLA Navy has sent two warships

and a Fuchi -class support ship as its contribution.

The two 23,000t Fuchi -class replenishment

vessels are the only such platforms in the

PLA Navy capable of supporting out-of-area

operations.

Built by Hudong Shipyard and China State

Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Guangzhou

shipyard, they both entered service in 2004. At

178.5m in length, the vessels have fuel capacities

over 10,000t, with a further 250t of water and

almost 700t of dry stores, and four RAS stations,

two on each side – one for liquids, one for solids.

The ships alternate on each piracy mission, and

have shown their value to the degree that a

further two vessels of the class are being built.

CSSC Guangzhou Shipyard launched the third

ship, Tai Hu, in March 2012, with Hudong

Shipyard launching the fourth, Chao Hu, two

months later. Both vessels are expected to enter

service this year.

PAKISTANI PROGRESS

The Pakistan Navy is following suit, as it needs to

replace its two existing Dutch- and Chinese-built

replenishment ships. A contract was signed with

Turkish company STM in January 2013 for a new

155m-long 15,600t fleet tanker with RAS stations

and a helicopter deck. STM is providing the

design and materiel plus training, and the ship

will be built at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering

Works in Pakistan.

Indonesia’s naval force is also seeking to

update its fleet tanker support, as its current

1960s-vintage vessels, comprising the Khobi -class

tankers Balikpapan and Sambu, and the Rover -

class tanker Arun, are in need of replacement.

Local news reports state that steel was cut in

February 2012 at Dock and Shipping Kodja Bahari

for a 122.4m-long ‘bantu liquid petroleum’ (BCM)

tanker under a contract worth $21m.

The design of the ship shows it has a helicopter

platform, two RAS stations and can carry 5,500t of

HMAS Success conducts refuelling operations with HMAS Darwin and FNS Vendemaire(l), while SPS Cantabriasupports HMAS Newcastle(r). (Photos: RAN)

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has built two Deepak -class

replenishment vessels for the Indian Navy. (Photo: Fincantieri)



Support veSSelS

www.mi-g.cm

fuel. A $16m contract for a second, slightly

smaller, 95.5m-long vessel BCM tanker was also

awarded to Anugrah Buana Marine. This was laid

down in July 2012, and both ships are due to be

completed in the 2014-2015 time frame.

Due to the vast distances that its ships need

to travel, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is

also looking to update its fleet replenishment

capability, currently provided by auxiliary oiler

(AO) HMASSiriusand AO replenishment (AOR)

ship HMASSuccess.

An RAN spokesperson toldMLI : ‘Siriuscan carry

bulk fuel and some limited stores to support

naval task group operations, while Success

provides a more comprehensive and flexible

suite of logistics support, including ship and

aviation fuel, water, heavy stores and explosive

ordnance. In addition, Successhas the ability to

use its helicopter to augment the ship’s transfer

capabilities.’

Sirius was formerly a double-hulled Korean

tanker, MT Delos, which was converted and

brought into RAN service in September 2006

under the Sea 1654 Phase 2A programme,

replacing the older vessel HMAS Westralia.

Success is a single-hulled oiler that entered service

in 1986 and was upgraded in 2010-2011 to

extend its service life into the 2020s with the

creation of an artificial double hull. MARPOL

regulations called for the phasing out of single-

hull tankers by 2010, and ST Marine was

contracted in December of that year to convert

the fuel tanks in Success in order to create an

artificial double hull that would allow the ship to

continue in operation.

SucceSSful Support

‘The capabilities provided by Success andSirius

have adequately supported the RAN fleet over

the last 27 years,’ continued the spokesperson.

‘However, the support requirements of the

future fleet will demand great operational

flexibility and capacity from its support ships.

In particular, the age of the current capability

is now presenting some technical and

environmental compliance challenges for

Success, which has reduced the ship’s capacity

and operational availability. Sirius does not

‘The requirements of the future fleet will

demand great operationalflexibility and capacity

from its support ships.’



SUPPORT VESSELS

provide sufficient flexibility to support the

future fleet.

‘As an AO, HMAS Sirius is not designed to

provide the full range of afloat support

capabilities of an AOR – principally it lacks the

ability to replenish stores, ammunition and

other solid cargo.’

Propulsion alignment problems in Success

were discovered during trials in 2012, and

the ship will be undergoing maintenance

throughout this year. A replacement is being

sought under Sea 1654 Phase 3, along with

a replacement for Sirius. The spokesperson

said that Phase 3 is scheduled for ‘first pass’

consideration in FY2012-13, with a ‘year of

decision’ set for FY2014-15 to FY2017-18. The

new ships will cost around A$1.5 billion (US$1.52

billion) and are expected to displace about

20,000t and have a helicopter capability.

‘In the Asia-Pacific region, with some vast

distances between a potential area of operations

and a suitable support base, the presence

of an AOR with a naval task group allows

governments and commanders a significant

advantage in flexibility, allowing a force to be

maintained on station, which is essentially self-

sustaining and self-contained – a capability

which can be maintained for many months,’

added the spokesperson. ‘The operating areas

for such a force are no longer restricted by the

endurance and range of the various ships,

allowing a greater range of response options

to government.’

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia told MLI that the

company was interested in this programme. The

company built the replenishment ship SPS

Cantabria for the Spanish Navy, and it entered

service in July 2010. At 174m in length and

displacing 19,800t, Cantabria is deploying

with the RAN from February to October this

year in a support deal that will also showcase the

ship’s capabilities.

Navantia has already constructed the hulls of

the RAN’s two new Canberra-class amphibious

assault ships and provided its Álvaro de Bazán-

class (F-100) frigate design for Australia’sHobart -

class air warfare destroyers.

PARALLEL PROBLEMS

The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) had a

similar problem with its replenishment ship

HMNZS Endeavour , which like Success was

single-hulled. About 10% of its fuel tanks have

been converted into ballast to temporarily

overcome the MARPOL regulations, and the

ship can operate until April 2013. After this

time, under a transitional compliance strategy,

Endeavour can only continue to operate with a

reduced cargo capacity.

A replacement ship is being touted under the

Maritime Projection and Sustainment Capability

programme, but a vessel is not expected to enter

service until 2017-2018 or even 2019. RNZN

requirements, as stated in a defence white

paper, are for a multirole ship that can deliver and

support ground forces, with a flight deck for

helicopters as well as additional container space.

The programme is still in a capability definition

stage that will see an operational concepts

document produced.

The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) is

also in the early stages of acquiring new ships

following the expansion of its surface fleet

with new modern warships and moves towards

developing a blue water fleet. The RoKN is

thought to be looking at the acquisition of

fast combat support ships from 2017 to

replace the existing three Chun Jee-class auxiliary

replenishment ships.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is building a new

2,774-deadweight tonnage tanker at the Ananda

Shipyard to replace the 1980s-vintage fleet

tanker Khan Jahan Ali , which was built in Japan.

The USN also has significant support assets in

the Asia-Pacific region based in Singapore. A

spokesman from US Military Sealift Command

Far East (MSCFE) told MLI : ‘On any given day,

MSCFE has an average of ten Naval Fleet Auxiliary

Force [NFAF] ships operating in our area of

responsibility [stretching from the Indian Ocean

to the West Coast of the US]… These ships are

fleet replenishment oilers, dry cargo/ammunition

ships and fast combat support ships.’

MSCFE ships currently operating in the NFAF

include USNS Matthew Perry , USNS Pecos, USNS

Tippecanoe, USNS Rainier , USNS Amelia Earhart ,

USNS Carl Brashear , USNS John Ericsson, USNS

Washington Chambers, USNSRappahannock and

USNS Wally Schirra. MLI

USNS John Ericsson in harsh weather off the

coast of Japan in October 2012. (Photo: USN)



PALLETS AND CASES

By the time military equipment is used

in-theatre – be it a weapon, a piece of

communications gear or an unmanned vehicle

control system – it has been transported

thousands of miles, stored for countless hours

and has passed through a complex logistics

chain. And yet the moment it is delivered into

the hands of the warfighter in the field, it must

function immediately and effectively, without

fault or delay.

The passage of equipment into theatre

and its storage and deployment thereafter

is an underrated part of military campaigns.

But it cannot be overlooked by armed forces,

which need their equipment to work as

and when required. During every phase

of the supply chain, it must be protected

from outside elements that could cause

damage, including extreme temperate

variations, while also surviving the jolts and

shocks of the journey.

Ruggedised, robust cases and strong pallets

are therefore a necessity for effective military

operations, and a number of companies have

been developing solutions in this overlooked

corner of the industry.

WHEN IT MATTERS

‘For case manufacturers, the most important

thing is: how will a case perform on the day that

matters?’ Justin Maloney, VP of sales at ECS Case,

told Military Logistics International . ‘A good case

is the one that lets a warfighter get his job done

without having to worry about whether his

equipment will perform properly – whether it’s

been protected from the bumps, the harsh

environment, the dust or moisture.

‘If the soldier needs that equipment in order

to communicate with someone else in the field,

if his life depends on it, and we provide the

ruggedised case that allows that to happen,

then we’ve done our job correctly.’

The boom of using electronic equipment

in the 1970s kick-started the need for high-

performance transportation and storage cases in

the military. Prior to this, wood-based materials

were used to deliver equipment safely into

theatre. However, as fragile electronic equipment

was adopted in larger volumes by armed forces,

the need for highly specialised cases emerged –

particularly as military operations began to rely

on transportable electronic server equipment

for communications.

‘Electronic equipment needed to become

more portable in order to be effectively used

for its intended purpose in the field,’ Sterling

Becklin, president of ECS Case, told MLI . ‘To solve

this problem, my father invented and was issued

the original patent for the field-portable

19in Rackmount case enclosure – which was a

huge deal in the packaging industry, and

revolutionised the deployment and operations

of electronic systems for military use – and we

have continued to improve upon it throughout

its 25-year history.’

Since then, the company has expanded

its product line to include standardised

Thermostamp Composite Rackmount and

Rotomold transit cases, in addition to its most

customisable offerings of fibreglass-reinforced

polyester (FRP) cases, all of which have

been optimised in terms of ergonomics, fit,

form and function to cover the spectrum of

military requirements.

STACKING UP

‘Ten years ago, we recognised that our

competitors might offer a plethora of case sizes,

but there was no commonality of design to

THE LONGJOURNEY

Often the unsung hero of the logistics chain,suitable pallets and cases are vital for the safetransportation of equipment. Claire Apthorp explores the latest products that ensureitems are functional and undamaged whenthey reach the theatre of operations.

Zarges K 470 Universal cases are made of

high-strength aluminium alloy. (Photo: Zarges)



PALLETS AND CASES

A Rackmount case with its specially

designed handles and interlocking

stacking features visible on the underside.

(Photo: ECS Case)

allow the stacking of multiple configurations or

sizes together,’ added Becklin. ‘So we decided to

be the first in the industry to offer stackable,

modular cases – so you can have two 12in cases

alongside a 24in case, and have another container

stacked right along the top and they will all lock

together with no extra equipment needed.’

Furthermore, the company noticed that its

customers were using both the Rotomold and

Loadmaster Rackmount products alongside

each other, so it put the same stacking feature

into the Loadmaster Rackmount to allow all

cases to interlock safely for shipping, storage and

handling. Specifically designed as a housing and

transport solution for electronic equipment,

Rackmounts can be stacked with front and rear

lids removed so the equipment inside can be

networked together, and the cases used as a

permanent or semi-permanent structure.

Other improvements to the Rackmount

enclosures include threaded inserts moulded into

the case, rather than the previous method of

drilling holes to mount hardware such as handles

and shock mounts. This allows components to

be field-repairable or replaceable with a Phillips

screwdriver, as well as eliminating potential

leak passages, rendering them more reliable in

harsh environments.

The handles themselves are also more

ergonomic, making them lighter and easier on

the carrier, and each lid has moulded-in features

for castors or wheels that can be added at a later

date. Additionally, ECS Centre Grip Handles allow

the user to push or pull the container with one

hand without danger of the case tipping, thus

reducing instances of damage.

The company’s FRP line continues to be the

most highly engineered range of products it

offers, designed to meet low-weight, high-risk

requirements from its customers.

P r o v i d i n g d e f e n c e i n t e l l i g e n c e w o r l d w i d e .

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PALLETS AND CASES

www.mil-log.com

‘High risk generally refers to the fragility of the

equipment it is being used with – everything

from very specialised electronics to aircraft test

equipment and some of the most common UAV

equipment for projects where weight is key,’

explained Becklin. ‘We also offer the [FRP] line in

a carbon-fibre product because we saw a need

for even lighter, stronger solutions. It’s more

expensive than fibreglass, but we see big success

where the need requires it.’

DIGITAL BATTLESPACE

The move towards an increasingly digitised

battlefield has presented a number of challenges

for the packaging industry. As such, equipment

increasingly follows a COTS model – the 10-12

week lead times to supply cases to house the

equipment are a thing of the past. The ability

to respond to a customer’s needs in a timely

manner is a major differentiator. Responding

to this trend, ECS Case has developed a new half-

rack case that suits smaller electronic

components that need protection in the field.

‘It’s clear that the days of big army, and

more metal on the ground, are evolving towards

more technologically advanced systems,’ added

Becklin. ‘Advanced communications, UAVs

and mobile solutions will continue to drive our

developmental and production teams.’

The shift towards electronic equipment

that needs rugged cases for transport and

housing is being felt right across this sector of

the industry. Zero Cases is also addressing

this trend across its military and government

application product lines.

The company offers: a range of standard or

modified transit and storage cases in aluminium

or plastic; standard or customised carrying cases

specifically designed to carry communications

equipment such as small radios, laptops and

control equipment; and 19in Rackmount cases

in either aluminium or Rotomold plastic.

‘Certainly, customer requirements are

changing – as you can imagine, we started out

with basic environmental requirements: water-

tight and weather-tight,’ Mike Dimmack, Zero

Cases’ UK plant manager, told MLI . ‘Now these

cases need to be resistant to acts of cyber

warfare, so that if the case is scanned, sensitive

data cannot be leaked from the equipment

inside. And then conversely, they must also be

capable of housing aerials and antennas, so we

need to provide the reverse in some cases.’

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‘Cases need to beresistant to acts of cyber

warfare, so that if they arescanned, sensitive data

cannot be leaked from the

equipment inside.’



PALLETS AND CASES

Zero Cases also provides modular units

that can be created entirely to customer

specifications of any shape for a variety of

applications. ‘We’ve provided these cases for

everything from standard shipping cases to

transporting missile-launching equipment,’

he continued. ‘They must be flexible in design,

bespoke, fit and functional to be carried in

a range of rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft,

while still being water- and weather-tight,

and in some cases also microwave- and radio

wave-proof.’

The increasing utilisation of unmanned

vehicles is also providing big opportunities for

Zero Cases, according to Dimmack. ‘The trend is

certainly moving towards keeping the soldier

out of harm’s way with the use of robotics and

remotely piloted vehicles,’ he said. ‘Our cases

are designed to be very well suited to storing

and transporting unmanned vehicle control

equipment and even the vehicles themselves.’

The other major requirement Dimmack

identified is the challenge for industry to reduce

weight and size as armed forces focus on

reducing the burden on the mobile soldier.

That means keeping cases as small, light and

user-friendly as possible, while still retaining

rugged characteristics.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Keeping armed forces as mobile as possible is a

subject Peli-Hardigg is well versed in, with its vast

array of mobile armoury, IT, medical and general

pallet-ready cases. The company is also working

in the more specialised aerospace sector with

Raytheon and ITT on the development of

improved casing for the Paveway IV laser-guided

bomb for the UK MoD.

The company is carrying out work to resolve

issues of condensation and corrosion that occur

with the traditional metal enclosure, formulating

an improved version from plastic-based

materials – the new solution has successfully

completed a number of drop tests.

The transportation of hazardous goods such

as guided missiles and explosive substances

requires special attention from case producers,

something Zarges Cases caters for in its

product range. The company manufactures

cases from high-strength aluminium alloy sheet

metal to package and transport hazardous

goods in accordance with UN requirements.

Products include the K 470 Universal, K 475 BYU

and K 410 Alu Case, and for sensitive loads,

shock absorbers, mounts and handling aids

allow safe storage and transport of Category 1

substances.

Zarges also provides pallets in a range of

corrosion-resistant aluminium designs, including

options with corner feet and skids. Pallets are

the most basic element of military logistics, with

the majority of shipments on any platform –

land, sea or air – using pallets.

Traditionally made with balsa wood and often

produced for single usage, manufacturers are

focusing on the higher-spec end of the market,

designing cargo pallets of various dimensions

and for specific purposes for extreme duty and

heavy-lift operations.

‘We don’t offer pallets for mass production,

we focus on air force customers who appreciate

quality more than purchase price,’ Geert van

Riemsdijk, managing director of VRR, told MLI . ‘A

lot of air forces use pallets for one time only, such

as the USAF, which uses tens of thousands of

pallets each year that last for six months,

whereas we deliver products with a lifespan of

around seven to ten years.’

At this end of the market, VRR offers

aluminium pallets with extrusions around the

periphery and a stringer-based aluminium core

in between the top and bottom 7000-series alloy

aluminium sheets. Known as the HCU-6/E

deployable air cargo pallet (or 463L air cargo

pallet), VRR has developed the system to provide

longevity with minimum maintenance using

low weights, and makes delamination (a

separation of layers within composite materials)

typically seen with the old-fashioned balsa wood

core pallets, a thing of the past.

The pallet is multi-modal, allowing air and

road transport with 22 tie-down rings and

3,400kg capacity in any direction. The pallets are

durable, easy to maintain and corrosion-, heat-,

moisture- and UV-light-resistant. When not in

use, the pallets can provide on-site storage

of equipment.

ALUMINIUM ALTERNATIVES

In addition to the HCU-6/E, VRR has developed a

number of alternative options, including the PAJ

pallet made with a sandwich construction of

single sheets of aluminium with aluminium

extrusions. This design prevents the typical

bending and warping common with standard

pallets that can cause jams in aircraft restraint

systems resulting in delays and damages.

The company’s PGA pallet has been

developed to provide extra robustness when

added weight is an issue for heavy-duty

applications, and its PGF pallet is also equipped

with ISO corners to facilitate the longitudinal

coupling of pallets.

‘One interesting thing we are seeing in

the military sector is that many air forces are

looking at the extreme fire regulations of the civil

cargo sector and taking note,’ added van

Riemsdijk. ‘In civil aviation, cargo and personnel

cannot be transported in the same hold due to

fire risk, while military aviation is not so stringent,

and troops and cargo can be transported

together.

‘A lot of our customers are starting to focus

on safety for troops, which has led to our

development of fire containment products,

which are designed to contain and extinguish

onboard fires starting in palletised loads.’ MLI

Pallets are one of the most basic elements of military logistics, being used for the majority of

bulk shipments by land, sea or air. (Photo: US Army)





CLIMATE CONTROL

In parallel with ongoing service experiments

with tactical power generation (see Military

Logistics International , Winter 2012, p18) and fuel

demand reduction, military planners are also

exploring ways to mitigate the climatic extremes

of current operational environments.

Ironically, while most traditional climate

control approaches would logically increase

power generation demands, many of the

emerging technologies complement other

logistics efforts by providing specific climatic

effects at reduced power consumption levels.

MARINE EXPLORATION

Some of the most innovative new approaches to

climate control issues have been explored and

demonstrated under the USMC Experimental

Forward Operating Base (ExFOB) programme.

Beginning in March 2010 (ExFOB 2010-1), the

ExFOB process has allowed the marines to

explore a range of power generation/power

saving issues that were quickly deployed to

theatre in support of operations.

The latest ExFOB 12-2, held at Camp

Pendleton, California, in September 2012,

included a spectrum of ‘cutting-edge’ climate

control technologies. The demonstrations

provide excellent representative examples of

potential solutions to climate control challenges

facing operational planners around the world.

According to Brig Gen Mark R Wise,

Commanding General of the USMC Warfighting

Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, the systems

explored at ExFOB 12-2 represented ‘a particular

focus for the [USMC] expeditionary forward

operating base’.

He explained: ‘The ExFOBs are a venue

that go twice a year. And each venue – whether

it goes on the west coast or east coast –

looks at a particular problem. This one happens

to be thermal management – from a lot of

different perspectives.’

The different perspectives noted by Wise

included designs for individuals, equipment,

vehicle cabs and group shelters. For example,

individual ExFOB 12-2 perspectives explored

several vest, pack and sitting/sleeping pad

technologies designed to provide climate control

to the individual warfighter.

SOLID STATE

Tempronics of Tucson, Arizona, for example,

used the ExFOB venue to demonstrate its solid-

state cooling technologies.

‘Everything is all-electronic,’ explained Steve

Wood, VP of business development at the

company. ‘There are no fluids or anything like

that involved in our products. Instead, we have

tiny thermoelectric devices that are 2mm2 that

have been integrated into various products here

as demonstrators.’

The thermoelectric design allows all of the

company’s products to perform either cooling or

heating functions by reversing current flow.

The company’s climate control product range

demonstrated at ExFOB included cooling

‘seat toppers’ that could be applied in vehicle

situations, sleeping pads and vests.

‘The air force asked us to do a “pre-flight vest”

that pilots could wear to do pre-flight inspections,’

explained Wood. ‘The idea was that if the pilots are

more comfortable walking around the airplane

then they would perform more thorough pre-flight

checks. It works on conduction – it has to touch

your body. So you put the vest on, zip it up, and you

are nice and cool. It normally runs about an hour

and a half on battery power.’

He added that the air force has also mentioned

the need for a ‘heated’ vest that could be used by

pilots operating near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Rini Technologies of Oviedo, Florida, high-

lighted some of its personal cooling designs

at ExFOB.

‘We’ve been demonstrating cooling vests,

cooling pads and a refrigerated rucksack,’ offered

Dan Rini, president of the company. ‘The systems

are made up of two major components, the

cooling vest, for example, and the cooling device.’

VAPOUR COMPRESSION

In the case of the cooling vest, which the

company calls its Light-Weight Environmental

Control System (LWECS), the battery-powered

miniaturised cooling device measures

approximately 8cm in diameter and 20cm tall.

It uses a patented technology in a vapour

compression cycle to chill water to 22.2°C. That

UPSRecent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as

Africa and elsewhere, have led to a booming demand for

climate control systems that can both heat and cool deployed

infrastructure and vehicles. Scott R Gourley examines

some innovative solutions that also look to save energy.

Saab’s Heat Transfer Reduction material

reflects solar radiation away from metal

surfaces. (All photos: author)



CLIMATE CONTROL

AND DOWNSchilled water is then circulated through the

cooling vest that is worn close to the skin. The

chilled water pulls heat from the body, which is

released to the LWECS internal heat exchanger.

In addition to the individual vest, the company

also demonstrated a ‘refrigerated rucksack’

designed for medical corpsmen that might need

to transport refrigerated medical supplies or even

a medical cooling blanket.

Rini said that much of the early development

funding for LWECS has been supported by the

army’s Project Manager Air Warrior.

‘For years now – maybe six years – they have

been deploying in a lot of “refrigerated boxes” in

the CH-47 and UH-60 helicopters,’ he explained.

‘They weigh 14 or 15lb [6.3 or 6.8kg] and are

mounted in racks, with cooling lines running from

them. Some of those water hoses are 20ft [6.1m]

long in the Chinook. It’s great, because it keeps

them cool, but they are tethered to the hose.’

‘So we are part of the “Air Soldier” spiral

development programme, where this will be

adapted in two ways. The first is for the Kiowa

Warrior, which never had cooling because

the refrigerated box won’t fit in it – but they

can fit this. So they are going to put two in

the Kiowa – one for each crewman – and run it off

aircraft power.

He continued: ‘We are developing a mounting

bracket and going through all the “integration

hoops” right now. The second way is that we are

also getting it qualified for man-rated use, so that

the guys in the back of the other aircraft don’t

have to be tethered to the helicopter.’

DISTRIBUTED COOLING

Other ExFOB participants focused their

climate control technologies on heating and

cooling of shelters and electronic equipment.

Aspen Systems of Marlborough, Massachusetts,

for example, focused on demonstrating its

application of miniature compressor technologies

to a ‘distributed cooling’ design concept.

‘Once this system is powered into the

transit case you can provide heating for

temperatures between -40°F [-40°C] and 40°F

[4.4°C], so you can start up your servers at cold

temperatures,’ explained Charles Flanagan,

marketing manager at Aspen Systems. ‘Between

40°F and 80°F, fans just keep the air circulating.

Then, once the temperature hits 80°F, the

compressor kicks on and the cooling begins. This

system is rated to remove 550W of waste heat

from enclosures.

‘The reason we are here at ExFOB is that we

are proposing to save energy by distributing the

cooling, specifically to the electronics, with our

unit. There are some big ECUs out there with

ducting losses going into the tents. But if you can

cool the electronics separately, you have some

pretty good potential energy savings.’

He added that the unit has been qualified

for use with the Warfighter Information Network-

Tactical Increment 2 programme and additional

company R&D efforts are also applying the

miniature compressor technology to potential

personnel cooling applications.

Along with heating and cooling of the air

environment, ExFOB demonstrations included a

dramatic water cooling element provided by

OxiCool of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

‘Normal air conditioning and refrigeration

uses CFCs and HFCs as the refrigerant,’ explained

Ravikant Barot, founder and CEO of OxiCool.

‘But we use water as a refrigerant. Water is

the best refrigerant in the world – it has the

best heat capacity. But it expands into a

humungous volume, so normally it cannot be

used effectively. However, our system allows

water to be used as a refrigerant in a very safe

manner.’

SIEVE DESIGN

Barot described an underlying technology

employing a ‘unique molecular sieve’ design,

which he dramatically demonstrated by

cooling a supply of water from 21°C to

below freezing in seconds. For ExFOB, OxiCool

focused the technology application to the

USMC’s 4,000l SIXCON water storage tank

containers.

‘Trying to keep the whole tank cool is hard,’ he

continued. ‘So people end up drinking 110°F

water. And it’s not only physical, but also

cognitive abilities that go down if you are not

staying hydrated and comfortable. So we

Rini’s refrigerated rucksack is designed for

the transport of medical supplies and

cooling blankets by corpsmen.


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CLIMATE CONTROL

www.mil-log.com

came in to create a system that can cool five

gallons [22.7l] of water at a time, on demand –

that’s what we created.’

In addition to the demonstrated ability to chill

water, he noted that the technology had other

direct applications, ranging from vehicular

cooling to future home/structure cooling

designs.

Along with vehicular cooling applications

previously outlined for OxiCool, companies

like SunDanzer and Bergstrom demonstrated

their own vehicular/cab-cooling concept at last

September’s ExFOB.

‘What we are demonstrating here is our

NITE system – No Idle Thermal Environment

unit,’ explained Mark Farrugia, director of military

programmes at Bergstrom. ‘It allows an operator

to turn their vehicle off in an idle situation

and still run the AC. It runs off batteries, so

they don’t have to keep the engine going

and burn fuel.’

SHELTER FOCUS

Cooling group facilities and structures is

another critical element of climate control,

and ExFOB featured an array of options,

including integrated portable tent/shelter

cooling designs from HDT, CAMSS, Aspen

Aerogels and Evaporcool.

In addition to the different approaches for

tent/shelter climate control, Saab Barracuda

demonstrated a Heat Transfer Reduction (HTR)

material for both stationary container and

mobile vehicle applications.

‘At Saab Barracuda, we develop, design

and manufacture camouflage systems for

the military – mainly related to netting or

some type of shade system,’ said Greg Moore,

programme manager at the company.

‘We’re out here demonstrating HTR, a heat

mitigation solution/multi-layered appliqué

for hard-sided structures – either expandable

or non-expandable containers – or crew

compartments of vehicles. It mainly works

through reflection of solar radiation away

from those metal surfaces to keep them from

heating up. And also with its “leafiness”, just like

with the camouflage netting, it allows some

convective cooling as well.’

LARGER ISSUES

The representative climate control tech-

nologies highlighted during the recent ExFOB

reflect just a small slice of the explorations

under way by the US military. Moreover, its

climate control explorations are closely tied

to larger logistics issues involving fuel, water

and power.

A recent representative example of

these crossover efforts surfaced in mid-January

2013 when the US Army’s Product Manager

for Force Sustainment Systems office released

an industry RfI for ‘energy efficient tent

systems’.

The request was issued to assess ‘industry’s

current capabilities in providing energy-efficient

tent systems for use by military services in

various theatres of operations’.

Emphasising the close logistics ties

between climate control and energy efficiency,

the document added: ‘The remote locations of

base camps create significant challenges

for logistics support of combat operations.

These base camps are heavily dependent

on large, long-distance truck convoys whose

cargo is dominated by water and bulk

fuel. Convoy routes through unsecured

areas are frequently hazardous, and transport

is always expensive.’

The RfI expressed the army’s interest in

‘technologies demonstrating energy con-

servation, [and] complete tent systems, which

include technologies providing alternative

power generation systems, energy-efficient

heating and/or cooling systems and energy-

efficient lighting incorporated into [a] tent

system.’ MLI

‘Water is the bestrefrigerant in theworld – it has the bestheat capacity. Butit expands into a

humungous volume.’

In parallel with its climate control

explorations for tactical environments, the US

DoD is also implementing a range of climate

control/energy-saving initiatives across its

fixed installations. One remarkably successful

example can be found at the US Army’s

Fort Irwin, California, home to its National

Training Center, where Lutron’s lighting

and control systems are being installed in

facility structures.

According to Hossam Kassab, installation

resource efficiency manager at Fort Irwin, the

service is being challenged to meet energy

reduction guidelines established in 2003.

CLIMATE CONTROL PROVIDES ENERGY SAVINGS AT FORT IRWIN‘The DoD guidelines have required us to

be very aggressive in energy conservation

measures around the army and at Fort

Irwin,’ he said, pointing to the resulting

implementation of new technologies like

occupant sensors and light management

technologies from Lutron.

Kassab related a 2010 visit to Lutron facilities

in Irvine, California, where he saw ‘the promise

of the system to fit my vision for Fort Irwin’.

He continued: ‘We brought them in here on

a new facility to start – to test their technologies

and see how they would work. And I personally

was shocked with the results, because I saw an

instant saving of 60% [power consumption],

without affecting any productivity. With the

naked eye, you can’t see any difference.’

The process also includes high energy-

efficiency air conditioning, enhanced through

the use of lighting controls that further

reduce cooling demands.

Kassab said that the initial findings

prompted ‘an aggressive approach’ to place

the systems in every building at Fort Irwin. He

concluded: ‘We revised our design scope of

work or RfP for any building that is going to

be rebuilt or refitted so that it must have

Lutron’s light and control system in it.’



The Association of the United States Army’s

Institute of Land Warfare

ARMY SUSTAINMENT

SYMPOSIUM AND EXPOSITION A Professional Development Forum

8-9 MAY 2013The Greater Richmond Convention Center | Richmond, VA

www.ausasustainment.orgFor information contact AUSA Industry Affairs: 703.907.2665

ARMY 2020GLOBAL LOGISTICS



He added: ‘The sea bed is also a crucially important source of

extractive energy production, bringing with it potential conflict

between national interests as well as the threat of terrorism.

While advanced submarines are very potent weapons, we have to

be equally prepared to counter the asymmetrical threats posed by

mines, divers and unsophisticated subsea vehicles.’

That is the backdrop to UDT 2013, which will bring together senior

representatives of the subsea operational and procurement

communities, defence scientists and key technology providers from

around the world for three days of discussion and networking.

Senior military set the sceneThe overarching theme of the conference is Consolidating progress:

flexible technologies and innovative, cost-effective solutions in the

underwater environment . The event will open with a plenary session

in which senior figures from the operational sphere describe their

needs and prevailing circumstances. It was recently announced that

Vice Admiral Axel Schimpf, Chief of Staff, German Navy; Vice

Admiral Andreas Krause, Deputy Commander Allied Maritime

Command Naples, NATO; and Rear Admiral Morten Jacobsen, Chief

of Procurement Staff, Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation,

have all agreed to take part in the opening plenary session.

Following the opening session on Tuesday 18 June, the conference

splits into four breakout streams covering Future and Operational

Strategic Context , where papers on new submarine concepts and

submarine life cycles will be presented; Innovative Solutions, looking

at weapons and UUV 1; Flexible Technologies, which will delve into

acoustics and submarine power sources; and the Advanced Research

stream will address harbour protection and the use of UUV and USV

for mine countermeasures and acoustic channel effects.

Wednesday’s plenary session will look into What the future

holds for the world’s most inhospitable environment and will take

the form of a panel discussion debating new technologies,

contested areas, emerging challenges and opportunities and the

Recent years have seen significant changes in the submarine

market. A range of factors are responsible, including substantial

reductions in Western defence budgets, volatility in global strategic

security and advances in onboard technologies and systems.

The emerging economic powers, particularly China, Brazil and

India, will play an increasingly important role in stabilising global

industry expenditure, counterbalancing the decline in the

traditional undersea markets. However, the industrial capability of

the newcomers is currently limited and this has created a need for

collaboration with the mature markets. Despite sensitivities

surrounding the transfer of some technologies, the number of

transfer agreements is expected to continue on a rising trajectory

over the next decade.

Running in parallel with these game-changing developments is

a shift in the portfolio of threats that must be countered by the

undersea defence and security community.

Rear Admiral Simon Williams OBE of Clarion Events, the

organisers of UDT, said: ‘The undersea environment is the most

testing one that man encounters – and that includes space

exploration. Yet, the arteries that enable much of our

communications and energy increasingly run beneath the sea, and

as these approach the shore they become increasingly vulnerable.’

UDT 2013 – The Global Event for

www.udt-global.com

UDT 2013

The design, development, manufacture

and support of submarines and their

associated systems and equipment will

come under the spotlight at the 26th

edition of Undersea Defence

Technology (UDT), the global forum for

the global undersea defence and

security community, which takes place

at the CCH – Congress Centre Hamburg,from 18-20 June 2013.

Military LogisticsInternationalshow preview



security implications for the underwater domain. The breakout

session will then again split into four streams, with Future and

Operational Strategic Context focusing on new concepts in mine

warfare, new concepts in submarine combat systems, and

submarine and system architecture. Innovative Solutions will look

at sonar measurement and modelling, passive sonar and UUV II.

Flexible Technologies will focus on systems architecture, mine

countermeasures and AUV. This will be followed by a paper on

procurement. Conference delegates seeking the latest news on

propellers and manoeuvring, batteries for submarines and

underwater weapons or shock resistance of submarines will find

the Advanced Researchstream of particular interest.

The final day will open with a panel discussion looking at Cross-over

technologies in the expanding underwater domain. Historically, the

underwater arena has been dominated by anti-submarine and mine

warfare, but more recently this sector has evolved to include new

stakeholders from energy to communications and maritime security.

In some instances, participants in these sectors are developing

concepts and capabilities that outstrip those traditionally employed

by the defence community.

The conference will come to a close with the delivery of the final

papers that include strategic concepts and the AUV’s expanding role

in mine countermeasures, which will be featured in the Future and

Operational Strategic Context stream, while non-acoustic sensors

and platform design will be discussed within the Innovative Solutions

session. Onboard systems and control systems for submarine

platforms form the papers in Flexible Technologies, while the

Advanced Researchstream will focus on submarine hull design and

hydroacoustics – transducers and arrays.

Latest technologies on showOn the exhibition floor a broad spectrum of suppliers will be

presenting their technologies and innovations. They include

EdgeTech, which will be featuring its latest developments and

technology relating to its Littoral Mine Countermeasures Sonar

(LMCS) system. LMCS is one of the most advanced mine hunting

sonars available. With its combination of long-range capability,ultra-high resolution and integrated SeeByte Automated Target

Recognition (ATR) software these dual-frequency sonars provide

extraordinary detection and classification proficiency in a variety of

platform systems. Each system is designed around the LMCS, but is

tailored to operational needs and the affordable commercial-off-the-

shelf (COTS) systems are provided specifically for military missions.

Alford Technologies, a first time exhibitor, will use the exhibition

to showcase its explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) products.

Specialists in developing innovative explosives tools for the

defence, security, police and corporate sectors worldwide,

UK-based Alford has led the market in the development of

explosive charges in response to operational requirements and

evolving threats. The company will display various EOD products,

including the new Pluton Maritime EOD Kit. This is a 60mm user-

filled modular shaped-charge system designed for EOD operations

in an underwater environment. The Pluton can be deployed in a

variety of configurations and can carry a variety of accessories

depending upon requirement. Explosive loads can be adjusted

depending upon target from 50-300g and can use a range of

explosives. Alford will also present its Vulcan Underwater and

Counter-Limpet Mine System (VCLMS) and Krakatoa.

System solutionsAEROMARITIME Systembau specialises in the design,

development and manufacturing of military communications

systems as well as submarine antennas for naval applications.

Since 1971, AEROMARITIME has tailored cost-effective system

solutions to more than 40 different navies, including NATO, based

on their specific operational and technical requirements. The

company will present its new advanced platform communications

system – APCOS 4000 – which is designed to comply with current

and future requirements for tactical and strategic digital

communications networks. APCOS 4000 is a hybrid routing and

switching communications platform, which is suitable for virtually

all military communications requirements.

Bluefin Robotics develops, builds and operates AUVs and related

technologies for defence, commercial and scientific customers

worldwide. Bluefin offers a full range of modular, free-flooded AUV

platforms and, using a core set of building blocks, has designed over

50 different configurations. These include more than 70 different

sensors on over 80 AUVs. Bluefin is a full AUV life cycle provider

offering research and development, technology integration, full-

scale manufacturing, platform training and operations support and

will use UDT to demonstrate its array of capabilities.

Other exhibiting companies include Babcock, Lockheed Martin,

DSIT Solutions, SeaBotix, DCNS and Kongsberg.

For more information on the UDT Conference

and Exhibition, please visit www.udt-global.com

Undersea Defence and Security

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

www.udt-global.com


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DEPTH FORWARD

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Spring 2013 | Volume 8 Number 1

The challenge for defence logisticians is

to effectively support the warfighter,

whether they are engaged in humanitarian

work or fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia.

With declining defence budgets, the need to

maintain performance, and even improve it in

a cost-effective manner, becomes more acute.

As a former director of the US Defense

Logistics Agency (DLA), Lippert explained how,

under a US DoD contract, Accenture has been

able to bring improvements to the supply

chain, saving some $250 million.

‘In the 1970s, I was doing a lot of work in

what we refer to now as advanced analytics,

and I used to dream back in those days of

the kind of capabilities that we have today,’

he said. ‘It is technology. It is the data integrity

and advanced analytics that allows us to do

things smarter, more intelligently, and keep

improving the effectiveness, and really hone in

on where the savings can come from.’

PRIVATE PRACTICES

Best business practices from the private sector

can be brought in to make these efficiencies,

and Lippert said the company’s mission is

to pick out which are the good ideas that

are applicable to defence sector organisations.

However, this is not easy because there are

different missions.

‘One example is Wal-mart, which everybody

points to as wonderful organisation, but Wal-mart

manages 100,000 items and the DLA manages 5.2

million. Wal-mart knows when Christmas comes

every year, and we don’t know in defence when

the next crisis is going to be, so it is a different

model that has to be used. What Accenture does

is it takes a look at the best business practices

and uses its defence knowledge, and figures out

where the intersection occurs to take advantages

of both universes.

‘For years, the DLA bought an excessive

inventory of low-demand items because there

was no policy in place to do it any differently.

So along comes the Accenture advanced

analytics team, which evaluated all of this

and came up with a brand new policy for low-

demand items that has been implemented at

the DLA, and resulted in significant inventory

reductions without any impact on readiness.’

Advanced analytics reduces the forecast error

for future product requirements. Instead of

just looking at individual items and tracking their

use, groupings of items can also be assessed

depending on the activity of a particular military

unit. Lippert cited the example of a USAF

F-15 squadron deploying to Afghanistan – by

aggregating historically what it buys and the

buying patterns supporting that squadron, this

can be communicated to the DLA, so the

material can be prepared and made available.

This is in stark contrast to the previous policy

of holding excessive amounts of parts in

storage – three to four times what is actually

required – just because the DLA does not want

to be without it or have it in short supply.

Accenture is also using its simulation

capabilities to help reduce excess capacity and

cost in the continental US base distribution and

supply depots, which was not available during

earlier base re-alignment programmes. Using

simulation tools, the company can empirically

assess how many depots are actually required.

‘We now have that capability,’ noted Lippert.

‘So that effort is going on as one of the cost

savings that will help reduce inventories and

allow a more efficient transportation structure

and have less infrastructure. This is another

capability that I would have dreamed about

back in the 1970s.’

RISK FACTORS

Accenture’s high-risk procurement capability

is also offering defence buyers a tool that

provides easy-to-access information about the

risk of purchasing specific products.

‘You can have a competition and see the

bids, but all of the other market analysis that

you need to do, that information is in 100

different places. By collecting that and using

advanced analytics, a risk score associated with

that particular buy is produced. We developed

a risk score associated with the procurement

from 0-1,000, with 1,000 being the highest risk

and zero being none.’

The high-risk procurement system does not

take the decision, but presents the buyer with

information that can be easily acted upon.

Data is presented so that the buyer can see

what might be a cheaper product option, but

also whether that option has a high risk score

or not. MLI

‘In the 1970s I used todream of the kind of capabilities that wehave today.’

ADVANCEDANALYTICS

Tim Fish talks to Keith Lippert, managing director of strategy

at Accenture, about how the company’s analytical solutions can

improve inventory management and increase efficiencies in the

supply and procurement processes.



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Military Logistics International, Spring-2013