New ecosystem emerging in military logistics.

• Author: Grose, Graham
• Position: VIEWPOINT

* The global defense market is emerging from the challenges it faced over the last five years.

In the Asia-Pacific region, sustained economic development and industrial and social maturity is leading to projected increases in defense expenditure. In Western markets, the budgetary cutbacks of recent years have passed their peak, and in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, there are projected increases in defense expenditures.

Major military conflicts are waning, while being counter-balanced by significant increases in terrorist-based, insurgency-type operations.

Without a doubt, the growth in machine-to-machine and connected devices, along with the transformational power of emerging technologies and revolutionary arrivals such as the F-35 joint strike fighter are going to change the military support environment.

We will start to see the growth of demanding ecosystems involving multiple relationships between contractors and manufacturers based on complex contractual agreements and varying levels of capabilities. These "protected" military ecosystems are likely to result in a more concentrated defense manufacturing market. The more protected ecosystems there are, the more competitive it will be for tier-two manufacturers to play roles as suppliers.

There are some key developments that will change the way defense organizations will operate and, in turn, bring huge changes to military support chains.

First, new technologies offer promising advantages for defense organizations, helping keep control and full visibility at every step in the support chain. Connected devices are now playing a big role in maintenance hangars. The next generation of warplane has arrived in the F-35, and military logistics needs to move with this. An F-35 has internal and external sensors that send real-time data to a ground-based logistics support system, which then seeks to optimize the end-to-end support chain. Hours can be saved in the maintenance bay by making sure the right equipment is available in the right place at the right time, so engineers are prepared for the task in hand and ready with the right part as soon as the aircraft lands.

The emergence of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has big potential for military ecosystems, perhaps more than most realize. The most obvious advantage is being able to produce parts when they are needed, meaning organizations can keep control of their support chains and end-to-end manufacturing processes by...