Distribution Technologies to Support Predictable Tactical

Distribution

CRSP Yard Management Tool June 10, 2012

Concept Brief

Briefers: Dr. Kevin Barry, LTC(Ret) James HendersonDistribution Statement: FOUO

Outline

• TeCD Context• Requirements• Problem Description• Solution Concept• Distribution Hub Tool

Challenge: Formulate a S&T program to leverage all available conveyance modes to ensure timely supply delivery, to increase the reliability and effectiveness of the tactical supply chain, to be able to predict when and where all classes of supplies will be needed, all while optimizing energy efficiency of delivery platforms. The capability must provide accurate tracking and tasking of assets for supply and transport management and provide delivery options to commanders that can mitigate force structure limitations as well as enemy or terrain interference.

Problem Statement: The Army needs improved capability to tactically transport, reliably distribute and accurately track all classes of supplies to Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and smaller satellite bases in remote, dispersed, austere locations with reduced supplier and equipment risk to include improved efficient and safe methods for equipment retrograde operations and maximizing use of energy efficient platforms.

Objectives: Near term (FY17): Improve ability to manage, track, redirect, account for and distribute supplies to support forced entry, early entry, and non-contiguous operations in an energy efficient manner.

Challenge Boundary Conditions:Who: For Forward Operating Bases with applications to expeditionary bases (Small Units in COPs and PBs) What: Rapidly deliver significant quantities (volume, weight, etc) of supplies. Air drop and convoy operations - develop ability to conduct rapid movement of emergency, planned, or critical logistics support that enables precise delivery of supplies and repair parts to forward battlefield locations, medical operations and relief operations

How: Worldwide expeditionary operations based on regional threat environment.

Sustainability/Logistics – Transport, Distribute & Retrograde

Clear Cut Requirements

• USTRANSCOM Joint Deployment and Distribution Capability Gaps, 10 February 2010

• Operational Needs Statement (ONS) OEF Strategic Shipment TMR Generation/Tracking, 26 MAY 2011

• Tier 2 Warfighter Outcome (WFO) S-12, Anticipatory Sustainment and Improved Distribution: The Future Force needs improved intelligent anticipatory tools and

capabilities to manage, track, redirect, account for, and distribute supplies in an automated manner to provide improved asset visibility and understand demand. The Future Force requires the ability to provide logistics support for forced entry, early entry, and non-contiguous operations.

Tier 3 – FY12 Warfighter Outcome – SustainmentS-8 Reliability,

Prognostics, and Diagnostics

The Future Force requires significantly improved reliability for all air, ground, water, and C4ISR systems to increase availability, enhance soldier protection, reduce logistic support, and cut life cycle costs by at least 50 percent of current cost. The Future Force requires embedded prognostics and improved diagnostics to predict, isolate and locate system degradation and failures.

S-10 Unmanned Systems - Support

The Future Force requires unmanned systems to support sustainment tasks, functions, and missions of: supply, deploy, employ, re-deploy, reset, distribution, and services, including unmanned air and ground delivery systems from home station to deployed locations. The Future Force requires unmanned systems that perform tele-medicine/surgery.

S-12 Anticipatory Sustainment and Improved Distribution

The Future Force needs improved intelligent anticipatory tools and capabilities to manage, track, redirect, account for, and distribute supplies in an automated manner to provide improved asset visibility and understand demand. The Future Force requires the ability to provide logistics support for forced entry, early entry, and non-contiguous operations.

S-13 Improved Inter-Modal Platforms, Technologies, and Techniques

The Future Force requires faster, more efficient and effective deployment and sustainment of forces via improved inter-modal platforms, technologies and techniques. Enablers should include air and ground delivery systems as well as packing, tracking, temperature control and reporting capabilities. Aerial delivery should become the routine method of distribution.

TECD 4b Transport, Distribute & Retrograde

Tier 2 – FY12 Warfighter Outcome (Sustainment)

Military Logistics Problem Definition

ENTRY

SUSTAINMENT

WITHDRAWAL

Terrain Weather Enemy Force Structure

Remote Operations

Austere Environment Non-Contiguous

Asset Visibility alone will not solve this problem

SUSTAINMENT – How Done Today & Limits of Current Practices

Today• Asset Visibility is limited as items transition

from the strategic move into the tactical move

• Tactical movement information is scattered throughout multiple systems and networks

• Manual processes (Excel spreadsheets) are used to fill technology gaps.

CRSP Yard

SPOD

Transfer Point

MCT

FOB COP

COP

PB

FOB

PB

PBPB

PB

STRATEGIC MOVEMENT(USTRANSCOM)

TACTICAL ONWARD MOVEMENT(THEATER SUPPORT COMMAND)

Riga Latvia

Transfer Point

Transfer Point

Russia

Kazakhstan

Termez, Uzbekistan

AfghanistanBorder

BagramLSA

Kabal

Jalalabad

Logistical Passage of Lines

Asset Visibility (ITV)

IGC

GTN

GTA

SMS

BDSS

DTCI

WWX

MCC

GATES

USMC/Savi

WPS

IRRIS

DLA DSS

ISDDCLTMITV

USCENTAF/Savi

CMOS

TDMS

AFCENT/Savi

RF-ITV

AV

Savi Network

MTS

BFT

TC AIMS II

TOPS

AMR

AMFT-ITV

TIS GLOBE

BCS3

STRATEGIC TACTICAL Current Limitations• Stove-piped• Limited ability to share

information between systems

• No sharing between strategic and tactical level ITV

• Army has AV but not Total Asset Visibility

Manually entering data into Excel spreadsheets

Army Needs Enterprise Awareness

Logistics Information Systems (Strategic and Tactical)

Distribution Data

alternative analysis, optimization/simulati

on, and COP

distribution network analysis, forecasting, and flow control

location, movement,

purpose, and destination

Visibility

Predict

Optimization

FY14

Today

FY16

•Model distribution network for predicting network flow

•Leverage existing system feeds

•Tracking and watch capabilities (including mobile devices)

•COP with drill down (details) and through (time) querying

•Collect, integrate, organize, and share data for spatial and temporal processing

•M&S provides options based on changing priorities

FY15

Asset Visibility – Less Than Halfway There

Complexity of Network – Ground Lines Of Communication

Complexity of Network - Air and Multimodal LoC

• Political Unrest• Expanding Militancy• Host Government

Rule• Uncertainty• Economic Issues• Visibility Issues

Border delays

Theft & pilferage

Weather

Road conditions

Attacks

Labor issues

Tough Distribution Environment

Responsible Drawdown

Trans-Siberian RailNorthern Distribution

Network

3PL Managed Operations

Multi-modal Operations

Increasingly complex operations…

13

• Air movement synchronization• Diplomatic clearances, customs,

host nation processes• Centralized C2, decentralized

execution through 3PL• Inconsistent and unpredictable

volume

TDR Solution Concept

CRSP Yard

SPOD

Node

Node

Node

MCT

FOB

COP

COP

PB

FOB

PB

PBPBPB

2. PLANNING• Forecast• Prediction• Prioritize • Movement

1. IDENTIFICATION• Track Items (Watch List) – Agents• Identify Priority• Parameters for Prediction

3. EXECUTION• Track Items (Watch List)• Movement Schedules• Notification• Closure (Received)

Primary Objectives:• Accurately track• Optimize use of distribution assets• Provide delivery options that mitigate

limitations• Force Structure• Enemy• Terrain

• Improve energy efficiency• Improve distribution safety• Provide improved intelligent anticipatory

tools

Distribution Hub (CRSP Yard)

Without Distribution Hub:• m suppliers and n customers =

mn direct shipments• Each shipment relatively smaller• Subject to higher, less-than-

truckload rates

With Distribution Hub:• Only m + n shipments• Each shipment larger• Lower, full-truckload rates

• Distribution Hubs are here to stay• Key part of distribution process• Occur every time there is a change in

conveyance mode• Occur across all levels of command

Tactical Distribution ProductsTactical Distribution System• Description

• Identify and prioritize onward movement so gaining unit can predict arrival• Transition Partners

• SDDC (TRANSCOM)• PEO-EIS• PEO-C3T• NGWC

• User• TSC/ESC (ID flow, priority of support)• SB/MB (movement priority)

CRSP Yard Management System• Description

• Management tool providing visibility and accountability between multiple transit nodes irrespective of command level and class of supply

• Transition Partners• NGWC• PEO-C3T• CASCOM/Transportation Corps

• User• TSC/ESC (SPO section for each commodity)• MCB/MCT (see priority, produce movement schedule)• SB & Subordinates (manage, execution)

Tactical Logistics Network

Weather

Mobility Model

Terrain/Hydr

ologyEnemy Impacts

Network Model

User-defined

objectives, priorities

Onward Movement Schedule

Optimal routes

Arrival time

Tactical Logistics Network Challenges

Must solve Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) routinely and efficiently to schedule onward movement and predict arrival times

•NP Hard, requires novel heuristic algorithms for even moderately sized networks

•Challenge of dynamic updating of route conditions, non-traditional multi-objective optimization (e.g., delivery time, route safety)

•ERDC has unique potential to incorporate low to high-range fidelity predictions of route condition changes due to weather, hydrology

Classical VRP

G=(V,A) where V={0,1,..,n} is the vertex set and A={(i,j) : i,j V, i j} is the arc set.

TAV

ISO Container

MANIFEST

M M MM

Blue Force Tracker (BFT)

NGWCNGWC Gateway Device

M

M

M

M

MMMMM

MMMMM

MMMM

MMMM

MMMM

MMMM

M

M

M

M

MMMM

MMMMMMM

Arrival Yard CRSP & Staff Interactive Worksheet

Inbound Watch ListCRSP & Staff Interactive Worksheet

Sustainment Shipments Holding YardCRSP & Staff Interactive Worksheet

Deployment Holding Yard (Container & Rolling Stock Lanes)CRSP & Staff Interactive Worksheet

Frustrated YardCRSP & Staff Interactive Worksheet

SPO Future Projected Requirements

M

TMRs/AMRs Listing sent to MCT/MCB Awaiting Movement

NGWCNGWC Gateway Device

Outbound Watch ListGaining Unit Interactive Worksheet

1

2

3 4

5

6

Mesh Characteristics

• Interface with the Existing

aRFID

• Tag-to-Tag Communications

• Interface Existing Backhaul

Communications

• Low Power, Low Signature

• Relatively Short Range

• Information Assured (IA)

• Self Forming/Healing

• Adhoc Properties

Mesh Network Yard Operations Staff Management

M

M

M

MM

MM

MMMM

MMMMMM

M

MMM

MMMM

MMMM

CRSP Yard & Staff Interactive Worksheets Process

RQT-MPE-43

RQT-MPE-44

RQT-MPE-45

RQT-MPE-46

RQT-MPE-47

RQT-MPE-48

RQT-MPE-49

RQT-MPE-50

RQT-MPE-51

Mid-Term and Final ExamsCERDECAPG

Network Optimization

CERDECFort Dix

Single Subnet, Hardware, Soldier Use

NIEFort Bliss, TX

Multi-Subnet, Network Integration, Multi-Soldier Use

NTC

Full-scale, operational evaluation

CRSP Yard

SPOD

Transfer Point

MCT

FOB COP

COP

PB

FOB

PB

PBPB

PB

Riga Latvia

Transfer Point

Transfer Point

Russia

Kazakhstan

Termez, Uzbekistan

AfghanistanBorder

BagramLSA

Kabal

Jalalabad

Transition Strategy

“If we had this technology, we’d use it today”

“Be sure to bring this to me when you finish it”

TSC/ESC – ID flow, priority of supportSBs//MB – Movement Priority

Who Will Use?

COP – predict delivery, closure

Questions?

Back-Up Slides

• Ideal logistical system like pipe flow– Everything moving at same speed, going same place

• Commercial Logistical System– Own entire system (warehouse, transportation,

people)– All works same way (one process, one system)– No variability (very predictable)– Integration much easier

• Military Logistical System– Multiple owners, systems, players– High variability (very unpredictable)– New assignment at “B” dependent on changes that

have occurred since order was placed and new reality on the ground

– Fundamentally different from commercial systems which will not do this

Fed Ex and UPS have major difficulties with international problem

A

BA

C

B

D

E

F

G

A B CFed Ex UPS

Why Not Fed Ex?