Taming the Logistics Gap

by John Gastright, Jr., Mick Bednarek and Howard R. Lind
International Stability Operations Association

The era of "contested logistics" in the Indo-Pacific region has arrived, with adversaries likely to attempt to disrupt U.S. and allied activities. Proactive efforts to leverage existing authorities, engage partners, and develop comprehensive pre-positioning plans during peacetime will be crucial for preparedness and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. The expertise, ingenuity and speed of the private sector will be critical for the success of these efforts.

To facilitate these public/private partnerships, the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA) recently convened a series of meetings aiming to develop solutions utilizing the private sector's resources. Last month in Hawaii, we brought together over 200 experts from industry, government, and think tanks to address the significant challenges of supporting the United States and its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. This was the second conference in Hawaii in as many years. At the inaugural conference a year ago, attendees learned about substantial gaps between the logistical needs in the vast Indo-Pacific and the available resources to fulfill those missions. Since then, ISOA has conducted a series of focused discussions to deepen the understanding of these challenges and identify potential solutions. These discussions culminated in last month's conference, where key themes and solutions were presented to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the U.S. Army Pacific Command, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other interagency partners.

“The tyranny of time and distance” continues to be one of the most significant challenges for preparedness. Compared to other regions, transportation timelines in the Indo-Pacific are quite lengthy. For instance, shipping from the U.S. west coast to Japan can take 12 to 20 days, while shipping to Singapore requires a month, and to Australia, even longer. Additionally, shipping costs are a significant factor. Currently, the cost of shipping a 40-foot container from the U.S. West Coast to China is around $1,400, down from a peak of $20,600 during the pandemic. However, in a crisis, these costs would escalate dramatically. Unlike the 1990 Persian Gulf War's six-month build-up, an Indo-Pacific crisis would likely allow no such timeline.

As a result, a recurring theme at last month’s conference was the need to "accelerate" and "go faster." Pre-positioning emerged as a crucial strategy for the U.S. to project power and influence. Maintaining pre-positioned assets across dispersed locations can mitigate the region’s sizeable timelines and costs. By strategically positioning sea and land-based equipment, the U.S. can demonstrate a show of force and reduce the need for deploying large quantities of equipment and supplies as well as personnel. As the Indo-Pacific Strategy emphasizes a distributed footprint, increasing pre-positioned capacity through contracted support is essential, and contractors will need to be prepared to respond quickly by having pre-established business operations and networks.

As the U.S. increasingly relies on allies and partners for military operations, a holistic logistics and sustainment network incorporating all parties is critical. In a crisis, accessible shared weapons and stockpiles will be essential. The U.S. War Reserve Stocks Program, which allows both host nations and U.S. forces to access stockpiles, serves as a model. Expanding this to a multi-key concept, enabling multiple nations to access stockpiles, would optimize operational flexibility. Intra-theater logistics also remain a challenge due to the limited U.S. watercraft fleet. Innovative, agile, and cost-effective solutions are needed, with autonomous systems offering game-changing improvements in mission execution, time, and cost savings.

Other ingenious solutions discussed during the conference reflect the innovative problem solving that will be required for success. For example, augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing maintenance by enabling remote expert mentorship, minimizing travel, and maximizing peer-to-peer support. AR's instant maintenance protocols and language translation capabilities eliminate communication barriers, facilitating multinational cooperation. The conference also highlighted innovative "hide-in-plain-sight" logistics solutions, such as repurposing surplus cruise ships for maintenance, accommodations, or storage, disguised as regular maritime activity.

As we prepare to address the complex and daunting challenges in the region, the private sector will play a pivotal role in providing critical support to our joint forces. With operations already established around the region, these companies are already highly experienced in interoperability, the need for speed, and non-traditional approaches. Solutions that leverage the expertise and creativity of the private sector will be critical to maintaining preparedness and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

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John Gastright, Jr. is a senior vice president at Amentum and is a member of the ISOA Board of Directors.

Mick Bednarek is Vice President, Strategic Outreach for Fluor Mission Solutions and is the current Chairman of the ISOA Board of Directors.

Howard R. Lind is the president and executive director of ISOA.