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Army Futures Command\u2019s newest Cross Functional Team-Contested Logistics head, Rob Watts, talked about resupply by AI and robotic delivery vehicles such as UAVs and roboboat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want a tool to tell us, when we get to precision sustainment, that \u2018you need to start moving some ammo to island X today because it\u2019s going to take 10 days to get there, based on the threat information from the intel community,\u201d Watts said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Remember when MREs came out – Meals Ready to Eat – one of their nicknames was Three Lies in One. Kinda what I felt like reading this….so many things potentially wrong with this concept. The biggie, of course, is the usual: “based on the threat information from the intel community,”. Who wants to trust their asses to\u00a0 intel estimations? Of course you do, because they always get it right – ten days out – right? And who knows what will happen in those 10 days, eh?*<\/p>\n
\nEven snapshot-type questions, such as how much fuel is available to units in three separate locations, should be answered in minutes by artificial intelligence, rather than having a soldier scour spreadsheets and radio disparate units, Watts said.<\/p>\n
Tying all the data being collected through the various sensor systems the Army\u2019s using could also improve planning.<\/p>\n
One example Watts referenced was if a commander needed to extend an operation from five to 10 days. Such a system could answer that question accurately.<\/p>\n
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Doug Bush told Defense News in October that the service has a high interest in a new watercraft that it received the first prototype of in 2023.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I would note this particular boat (pictured) not a roboboat.\u00a0 100 foot long, about a 350 miles range. At least they didn’t use the term Littoral.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\nThen-Lt. Gen. Eric Smith said at that year\u2019s Modern Day Marine Expo that ships of that watercraft of that size, which could carry 50- to-1,200 tons could help with the Corps\u2019 resupply needs. Smith is now the Marine Corps commandant.<\/div>\n\nThe paper highlights the need to shrink logistical tails and reduce the distances needed to move supplies by generating supplies such as ammunition, food, water and repair parts closer to the battlefield.<\/p>\n
The paper calls for the Army to have its own watercraft fleet so that it is not dependent on Navy and Air Force transportation to move supplies. The key area it would improve, Fox claims, is resupply from the theater to the division level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\n\n\n\nSo the Army would have its own boats? \u00a0 and manufacture ammo somewhere closer to China? Hawaii? Phillipines? How about giving them their own (ahem) A-10s, too, as long as we are goring sacred cows?<\/p>\n
In concept I can see why they are exploring this… in practice I can easily see somebody who has just been attacked a few days ago who needs scaled up ammo deliveries RIGHT NOW getting a bumper crop of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
Tip o’ the ol’ Hatlo Hat to Jeff LPH for the source material.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
*note I say this AS an ex-Intel weenie.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"