Evaluating Representation of Tactical Logistics in the Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century (COMBATXXI) Simulation
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Authors
Blais, Curtis
Subjects
logistics
expeditionary logistics
contested logistics
United States Marine Corps
USMC
Force Design 2030
Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century
COMBATXXI
combat simulation
analytical simulation
Stand-In Force
SIF
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
EABO
force structure
force assessments
operations analysis
expeditionary logistics
contested logistics
United States Marine Corps
USMC
Force Design 2030
Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century
COMBATXXI
combat simulation
analytical simulation
Stand-In Force
SIF
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
EABO
force structure
force assessments
operations analysis
Advisors
Date of Issue
2024-03-24
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has defined new operational concepts to face today’s international military threat environment. Such ideas as Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations and Stand-In Forces present operational challenges that need to be overcome to maximize combat effectiveness. One significant area of interest is in determining changes needed in logistics operations to support sustainment and resupply. Modeling and simulation are used by the USMC analysis community to examine new concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures under varying operational conditions. The Marine Corps has teamed with the U.S. Army to develop the Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century (COMBATXXI), a constructive, entity-level simulation providing detailed representation of the battlespace. This project was performed to examine the capabilities of COMBATXXI to model logistics operations supporting the emerging USMC concepts. The research team conducted a brief literature review to understand key principles and characteristics of the new USMC warfighting concepts and the challenges these concepts present to logistics operations. The team then examined functional capabilities of COMBATXXI with respect to those principles and characteristics to identify areas where COMBATXXI is currently capable of providing the needed representations and where new capabilities can be added to core COMBATXXI software or implemented in combat behaviors executing in COMBATXXI. The work concluded that COMBATXXI has significant capabilities to address logistical operations of interest to these emerging concepts. Recommendations were made for areas of improvement to the simulation capabilities if the USMC decides to continue this work.
During this research, NPS faculty entered into discussions with DoD contractors working on challenges facing expeditionary logistics as well as the broader area of contested logistics. Follow-on activities are underway that will provide opportunities for continuing collaborative research and development in this area benefiting future NPS education and research as well as USMC operational concerns.
Type
Report
Description
NPS NRP Executive Summary
Series/Report No
Department
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
HQMC Combat Development and Integration (CD&I)
Funder
This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrp
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)
Format
5 p.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.