Contested Logistics 

F6CCC - Logistics with a Mission Criticality (**) -Aikakriittistä Logistikkaa jolla on tehtävä

Contested logistics  (***) refers to the challenges military operations face in challenging, disputed environments where adversaries actively disrupt or seek to deny, disrupt, or destroy logistics operations and infrastructure. This can include targeting supply chains, ports, transportation networks, and other logistical assets. In short, contested logistics is about sustaining military operations in the face of deliberate enemy actions targeting the flow of supplies and resources. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • Adversarial Challenges: Contested logistics assumes an adversary is actively trying to deny, disrupt, or destroy friendly logistics operations.
  • Multiple Domains: This can involve cyber attacks, kinetic attacks, sabotage, and other methods across different domains like air, land, sea, space, and cyber.
  • Supply Chain Disruptions: Adversaries might target supply chains, ports, and transportation routes, aiming to hinder the movement of equipment, supplies, and personnel.
  • Logistical Infrastructure Attacks: Targeting critical infrastructure like depots, staging areas, and ammunition supply points can further disrupt logistics.
  • Need for Innovation: To overcome these challenges, military forces need to develop innovative strategies, technologies, and methods to ensure continued sustainment.
  • Examples: The U.S. military is concerned about the potential for adversaries to exploit supply chains and transportation networks through commercial, economic, or cyber means.
  • Modern Challenges: New technologies, like drones and cyber warfare, are increasing the sophistication and effectiveness of attacks on logistics.

" Contested logistics is a significant challenge for military forces, requiring constant vigilance, monitoring, and adaptation to stay ahead of adversaries " F6CCC Navallog Team


**  =  Key Aspects of Mission Criticality:

  • Essential for Operations: Mission-critical elements are those that a business cannot function without. If they fail, the business's core operations are disrupted, potentially leading to significant losses.
  • Impact of Failure: The failure of a mission-critical component can have far-reaching consequences, including:
    • Financial Losses: Inability to process transactions, loss of revenue, or increased operational costs.
    • Military Losses: Unnecessary losses of human combat persons, any kind of (joint task )military materiel, military operations supported infras (electricity, water, proviants, ICT, medical materiel, critical manufacturing lines and factory assets) and related logistics networks
    • Reputational Damage: Loss of customer trust or negative publicity due to service disruptions.
    • Operational Disruption: Significant delays or complete halts in production, distribution, or service delivery.
    • Safety Risks: In some cases, failure of a mission-critical system can pose a direct threat to human life or safety. 
    • *** = Analysis based on mr. Kiviaho's forecoming, undergoing doctoral thesis on the theme in the US Navy, APAC, #USPACOM, Refer to www.pacom.mil