This article picks up this theme. It will juxtapose the UK MoD’s approach and aspirations with those of commercial logistics practitioners, seek to provide some balance, and, with occasional reference to historic and anecdotal example, identify capabilities within the tracking, asset visibility, transport management and machine to machine portfolio that offer immediate solutions to these reported shortcomings.

In their company reports for 2011 the Stobart Group reported that, at any one time, around 83% of its 2,250 vehicle fleet is on the road and carrying a load; this compared to an industry average of 71.7%. The Stobart Group’s success had been achieved using, inter alia, “new systems which give greater information to manage customer demand and achieve further reduction in waste and increased utilisation”2. This has resulted in “reduction of risk in a challenging environment and improved performance and margin”3.

During a similar timeframe, the media reported that the MoD was unable to account for more than £6bn worth of military equipment4, including 3,900 radio systems worth £155 million – some of which may have fallen into the hands of the Taliban’5. Anecdote also speaks of leather sofas bound for the messes of the Falklands that were shipped to Bastion, while Bastion’s new IT system arrived late, and lightly salted, via Mount Pleasant.

It must be perplexing for the MoD that a company like the Stobart Group is portrayed as seeing asset tracking and visibility as a vital business mission function, while the MoD is unfairly described by media reporting as adopting a more laissez-faire approach. General Omar Bradley is credited with observing that ‘amateurs study strategy, professionals study logistics’. On the basis of press reports alone, one could easily be left with the impression that perhaps ‘Eddie’ paid closer attention to the recent operational lessons process than ‘Tommy’ did.

In reality of course, just as in the commercial sector, logistics ‘at range’, and ‘just-in-time’ are the watchwords of military supply chain efficiency, and there is a profound recognition within the MoD of the need to technically enable the logistic enabler. Sadly,

this generation of MoD logisticians has not been furnished with the tools demanded of current expeditionary operations and whilst the commercial sector has forged ahead with real-time asset visibility and logistic management initiatives, the MoD has, temporarily we hope, lagged behind.

“While soldiers are serving the country here and overseas, it is essential that we make every pound count to ensure they get the kit they need…..theft and fraud weaken our resources, so we shouldn’t tolerate it….” Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton6

At the highest levels, the MoD recognises that it needs to get better at executing such basic functions as ensuring that it knows where all its kit is and, if it is missing, having an idea of when and where it went adrift. Not to do so potentially masks wider force protection, operational availability and financial accounting issues – and the MoD knows this. This is all the more frustrating for the MoD’s earnest logisticians, when proven solutions are immediately available.

The UK’s Armed Forces have long recognised the centrality of the logistic effort to campaign success. Indeed, the MoD’s Logistics Network Enabled Capability (Log NEC) Programme1 is the manifestation of both this recognition and of its future logistic management aspirations. Frustrating then for the MoD that recent media reporting describes a logistic organisation in chaos, and incapable of basic logistic functions.

Total Asset Visibility in the Networked Logistics Space QinetiQ’s Bushman® Tracking System

White Paper

“My logisticians are a humourless lot ... they know that if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.” – Alexander the Great

1. www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/MicroSite/DES/OurTeams/JointSupportChainTeams/TheLogisticsNetworkEnabledCapabilitylogNecProgramme.htm2. Stobart Group lorries use QinetiQ’s Ocellus T100i GSM based tracker.3. http://www.stobartgroup.co.uk/4. Sky News 5 July 2011.5. The Telegraph 17 Feb 2012.

The Iridium satellite constellation provides the capability for a force to achieve global asset visibility at a fraction of the cost of reported UK MoD equipment losses, and with the attendant potential savings of not having to stockpile kit forward in a speculative manner. Tracking technology, combined with logistics and transport management tools readily enable real time asset visibility. Machine to Machine interfaces combined with sensor telemetry, geo-fencing, remote sensing and remote sensor activation, enable theft prevention, alerting, responsive intervention and condition monitoring.

QinetiQ’s Bushman® range is at the vanguard of agile asset tracking service provision for UK forces in Afghanistan. Although used ostensibly for the tracking of aviation assets, personnel and patrol vehicles, Bushman®’s potential to bring military logistics management into the modern era is significant. QinetiQ’s depth of fleet management, sensor, integration and visualisation skills offer logisticians and supply chain specialists the ability to design bespoke, real-time global toolsets to achieve asset visibility and logistic chain security.

Transport Management Systems (TMS) provide a comprehensive, global fleet management capability for dry cargo, bulk fuel, high value and heavy cargos. They enable the accurate planning and recording of mission tasks, and produce performance reports

which can be used to improve logistics performance, and document the successful completion of mission tasks.

The geo-fencing and route planning functionality provided by a TMS, coupled to the accurate, low latency position reporting provided by an In-Transit Visibility (ITV) system, enable users to monitor mission tasks and be alerted to unplanned vehicle activities. This drives improved efficiency and performance in the logistics service being provided. The combined ITV and TMS solution deliver a highly effective mechanism for fleet management, mission tasking and performance monitoring. In areas where driver, personnel and ship security and safety are a concern, the ‘panic-button’ feature is also of benefit to logistic, intelligence and security interests, as they can be immediately alerted to accidents, incidents, theft and hijacking.

QinetiQ is also active in the Machine to Machine (M2M) development domain and participates in Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) development. HUMS is an exciting evolution in the Iridium based M2M arena and has applications across the military space for the real time tracking, monitoring and assessment of the current operational and logistic situation. HUMS significantly extends the usefulness of tracking and asset visibility capabilities. For example, by establishing vehicle idleness rates more cost effective utilisation and scaling can be ascertained along with attendant savings in fuel stockpiling and service support infrastructure. Similarly, and in the case of increasingly sophisticated military vehicles, HUMS affords the basis for more accurate and timely information about the condition of a vehicle, its occupants and weapons, and the way it is being used.

‘Stolen MoD equipment enough for small coup’, says MP’7

A combination of QinetiQ’s Bushman® range, Iridium’s satellite constellation, M2M functionality and HUMS developments provide logistic professionals with a significant, small footprint, cost effective and globally available means of keeping logistic activity on track, and out of the headlines – right now.

In the interests of self-preservation, Alexander the Great’s logisticians sought out and used the latest hi-tech inventions - maths and writing - to manage the task of enabling operations. Over 2000 years later, while military justice is certainly less severe, the political and financial consequences of failure on expeditionary operations remain significant. Unlike Alexander’s army, modern forces are not able to live off the land they transit, making logistics management for expeditionary operations a vital and prominent driver for campaign success; all the more important in a period of austerity and shrinking defence budgets. QinetiQ’s Bushman® range arms military logistics professionals with the tools that they need to meet the challenge of delivering campaign success.

For more information visit www.QinetiQ.com or Bushman® Asset Tracking on YouTube

Article Point of Contact – rnsawyer@QinetiQ.com

Customer Contact QinetiQ Cody Technology Park Ively Road, Farnborough Hampshire, GU14 0LXUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0)8700 100 942 www.QinetiQ.com Copyright © QinetiQ ltd 2012

6. A Defence Policy and Business News article – 24 Jan 11.7. The Telegraph 10 Apr 2011.

Images © Crown Copyright/MOD 2012QINETIQ/12/01740

QinetiQ is a trade mark and registered trade mark of QinetiQ Ltd. BUSHMAN is a trade mark and Registered Community Trade Mark of QinetiQ Ltd