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When determining what battlefield data are relevant to sustainment, it's helpful to break down combat service support (CSS) operations into certain key elements against which data can be collected for study and analysis. For this discussion, these data elements are called the components of tactical logistics. The following descriptions of the components of tactical logistics are not doctrinal ``book definitions,'' per se, so they are not intended to be all-inclusive. They are offered here, however, to stimulate thought and to facilitate an understanding of those factors which impact on tactical logistics support.

• Logistic resources are the wherewithal to effect support, including CSS organizational structures, command and control, task organizing for support, communications, information automation systems, medical facilities, and materiel such as transportation assets and supply, maintenance and field services equipment.
• Logistic capabilities include soldier and leader skills and the personnel staffing which, collectively, activate logistics resources and bring to life the required support. Capabilities are degraded in adverse situations such as severe climatic conditions, night operations, or elevated mission-oriented protective postures (MOPP).
• Logistic capacities include reception and clearance capacities, carrying capacities of transportation assets, volumes of storage facilities, maintenance production output rates, and supply route characteristics such as surface composition, tunnels, overhead obstructions, bridge weight limits and traffic circulation rates.
• Materiel stocks include the quantity and status of weapon systems, ancillary equipment, ammunition, repair parts and consumable supplies required or available to sustain or reconstitute combat power of deployed units. Also included are logistics status reports and known or projected shortfalls.
• Consumption and attrition rates include experienced or expected usages of consumable supplies and weapon systems which must be considered to anticipate support requirements.
• Time and space factors are those requirements and restrictions of the battlefield which influence whether logistic support is provided to deployed forces at the right place and time. Included here are plans, orders, rehearsals, priority of support, positioning for support, tempo of support (intensity of demand), security, risk assessment, the effects of terrain, weather, contaminated areas, minefields, nighttime and enemy threat on logistics operations, and the battlefield signatures of logistic resources. Time and space factors, especially, impact on the synchronization and integration of logistics on the battlefield.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Section II - Battlefield Data Sources