MILITARY AND CIVILIAN INTEGRATED LOGISTICS: CAVEAT EMPTOR (LET THE BUYER BEWARE)! CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE NATO ARTICLE V BATTLEFIELD

Abstract

The past 25 years has seen the increasing use of commercially contracted firms to provide logistic support to Western armies, especially in the British, US, and Australian militaries. The resulting integration of civilian and military logistic personnel and systems to form a joint military-civilian/ public-private integrated logistic system has required a number of adjustments and changes in order for the product to be efficient, effective, and functional and remains a dynamic and ongoing process. In 2018, commercial logistic support is now at the point where certain militaries are deploying non-military logistic contractors forward into 1st and 2nd line logistic support roles. This article will briefly describe the western military trend to commercial logistic contracting, highlighting key points and considerations of which any military will require awareness, if contemplating a similar expansion. It will also emphasise that this growth of civilian contracting has been predicated on low intensity, counterinsurgency conflicts such as deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. 1st and 2nd line commercial logistic support hence remains completely untested in the event of a potential peer or near-peer conflict. The untested nature of commercial contracting in a forward support role is the greatest potential critical vulnerability of militarycivilian integrated logistic systems, especially in the context of a potential NATO Article V -type conflict. The lessons for the Polish military as it considers greater integration of military and civilian logistics as part of a modernised force structure are clear.