A decision support system for sea-based sustainment operations

Abstract

The Marine Corps plans to fight battles in the 21st century using the littoral battlespace to maneuver forces from a sea-base to the operational objective. Combat forces ashore will be sustained directly from a sea-base to allow combat elements to maneuver freely without having to defend a rear area. In this type of environment, planners must be able to convert current data, intelligence, and status reports of units ashore into useful planning information. A sea-based sustainment posture makes transportation assets in the ship-to-objective delivery network critical for sustainment. This thesis focuses on sustainment and distribution in a sea-based environment. The Sea-based Logistics Decision Support System (SBLDSS) is developed to assist sustainment planners in this environment to predict inventory levels of forces ashore and assist in managing transportation assets. First, typical forces are modeled to reflect both their composition and activities ashore. Resupply needs are determined based on the commander's concept of operations and logistics planning factors developed for each force. Transportation assets, used to sustain the forces, are modeled. Demand is then placed on these transporters by both logistical and operational missions. Finally, a utilization schedule is constructed to determine if a feasible distribution plan exists