Naval Combat Logistics Support System

Abstract

The subject matter is the sustainability of naval forces in combat and the intimate relationships between tactics and logistics. The observation is made that it has been a long time since the United States Navy has worried about logistics in combat and that to some extent combat logistics have become ‘somebody else's’ responsibility. It is argued that combat logistics is inescapably the force commander's responsibility and its dimensions are sketched. Necessarily, the amount of data and calculation is extensive if an accurate picture of the combat logistics states of the force are to be maintained and predictions of future states are to be made. It is in the predictions of future states that the interactions between tactics and logistics become most apparent. The data storage and retrieval and computational aspects suggest a microprocessor-based support system. BGLCSS (battle group logistics co-ordinator support system) is a program of combat logistics data, event routines, and algorithms designed to allow the logistics co-ordinator to track and predict force combat logistics states and provide timely and meaningful insight to the force commander.