The management of logistics and supply chain operations is of vital importance in the defence sector. Defence Logistics looks at established theories and their practical utility, providing insights into current thinking for postgraduate and undergraduate students, lecturers, researchers, practitioners and professionals through real-life case studies. Defence Logistics focuses on key areas of logistics and supply chain management in context, such as sustainability, inventory management, resilience, procurement, information systems and crisis response. This comprehensive and up-to-the-minute collection includes contributions from international academics from a range of universities, academies and defence schools, along with practitioners who are currently working in the field of defence logistics.

This publication is the eighth in the series The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War. The publication focuses on the sealift and logistic operations during the war and includes a number of photographs as well as sidebars detailing specific people and ships involved in the logistic operations. This historical pictorial reference would be of interest to students, historians, members of the military, specifically the Navy, and military leaders, veterans, Vietnam War veterans, and the U.S. merchant marines.

In 2001, the DoD identified performance based logistics (PBL) as the preferred weapon system support strategy. Within DoD, PBL is the purchase of performance outcomes, such as system availability, rather than the purchase of individual elements of logistics support -- such as parts, repairs, and engineering support. Although PBL initially arose from efforts to reduce support costs, questions have arisen about whether PBL has reduced support costs as originally intended. This report evaluates the extent to which DoD has used business case analyses to guide decisions related to PBL arrangements and the impact PBL arrangements have had on weapon system support costs. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

Private Contractors and the Reconstruction of Iraq examines the controversial role of military contractors in the reconstruction of Iraq. When 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' was launched in March 2003, few, if any, of the Coalition's political leaders could have envisaged that within a few months the number of private contractors engaged to keep the troops supplied would exceed their actual combat strength. This alternative 'army' was not only to become the largest assemblage of contractors in living memory to accompany a military force into a war zone, but was also responsible for a fundamental transformation of how military logistics were delivered. This book explains how and why the US and UK governments became so dependent upon military contractors during the war in Iraq. It also examines the ramifications this new dependency will have on future military operations, as the conflict in Iraq has shown that private contractors are now indispensable to the attainment of both the military and political objectives of war. Finally, the book discusses what advantages and disadvantages these companies have brought to the reconstruction of Iraq, and what lessons need to be learned from this experience. This book will be of great interest to students of military and strategic studies, Middle Eastern politics and international security, and as well as policymakers and military professionals. Christopher Kinsey is a lecturer in international security at King's College London, Defence Studies Department, at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham. His previous publications include Corporate Soldiers and International Security: The Rise of Private Military Companies (Routledge: 2006)

The last comprehensive study of defense logistics was published in 1959. In the ensuing forty-five years a revolutionary change in information technology and defense strategy has swept the field and mandated a new understanding of the objectives and principles of military logistics. The author, renowned defense logistics expert General William Tuttle, covers all aspects of the subject including force projection, force sustainment, and minimizing the logistics "footprint" in battle spaces. Within these objectives, he includes five principles that are employed to assess the effectiveness of the process and identifies their shortfalls and remedies. He also illuminates the major influences of culture and politics on defense logistics and proposes ways to minimize their adverse impact on combat readiness. Written for defense logistics leaders —those currently coping with the challenges and those logistics aspiring to lead —and for everyone involved in the complexities of planning and strategy, this up-to-date volume is sure to become a hallmark in the field.