Practical Sustainment Concepts for the Non-Linear Battlespace

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Comparison of the Sustainment Tasks Let us take the scenario of two nodes and consider the application of the sustainment tasks, though respecting the same relationships as shown in the linear concept (Figure 2). As there is no longer a dependency on echelons, sustainment tasks can be fundamentally separated between those that are performed in nodes and those performed in links. Table 1 shows a comparison of tasks in each of the sustainment systems, in both the linear and non-linear environments. System Linear Battlefield Non-Linear Battlefield Replenishment - Transport and movement In the Rear (i.e. Comm Z) - Large administrative convoys, rail and air transport, which are feasible only in a low threat environment. - Supply - Complex infrastructure for high volume warehousing Land Equipment Management - More capable, static infrastructure permitting tasks of complexity and duration. HSS - Solid infrastructure can accommodate more complex support. Personnel Service Support (PSS) Sustainment Engineering (SE) - Security support, pers admin, replacements and the rear link. - Establishment of permanent infrastructure that is unfeasible on the front lines. In the Front (i.e. A1 Ech) - Small convoys, more agile, and more dependent on protection, firepower and concealment. - Integration in the manoeuvre plan. - Limited few days in order to ensure protection through mobility. Table 1: Comparison of Sustainment Systems in the Linear and Non-Linear Battlefields 50 Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.2 Summer 2008 In the Nodes In the Link Primarily Movement - Control, coord and preparation in view of transport, either through the APOD or for tactical lift from one node to another - In-transit visibility en route - Limited by technician - Tasks are limited by time, based on the resources requirement for frequent available in a given tactical movements. node and the - Complex tasks are priorities assigned to recovered to the rear through ECPs. them. - Limited to hasty field installations, and casualties requiring treatment of more complexity are moved rearwards through CCPs. - Limited to disciplinary chain of command, chaplain services and graves registration. - Those tasks oriented towards establishment of hasty infrastructure for force protection, mobility and countermobility Primarily Transport - Small manoeuvre patrols, requiring protection, firepower and STA assets - Integration in the manoeuvre plan. - Primarily CLP, contracted transport, tactical or contracted airlift 2 - The support covers - No supply task occurs the spectrum from IS in the links beyond what to GS. is stored in the vehicles, - Commodities are without the accessed through establishment of at least links among any arrangement of nodes a hasty node (e.g.a DP). - Med support short of first aide is conducted on nodes. - Where infra is inadequate, the priority is evacuation towards more developed nodes. - Security support, personnel admin, replacements and the rear link. - Establishment of permanent infrastructure that is unfeasible on the front lines. - Recovery is similar to transport, except that it is generally rearwards, back to superior nodes. - Recovery ops are planned and executed according to priority. - Emphasis is on first aide and casevac towards nodes with more solid medical infrastructure. - Limited to the disciplinary chain of command, chaplain services and graves registration. - Those tasks oriented towards establishment of hasty infrastructure for force protection, mobility and countermobility
Table 1 further illustrates that the level of production in the nodes is largely comparable to that in the rear lines. Similarly, the tasks that occur in the links are synonymous with those that are conducted on the front lines or even in the middle of enemy territory. Link tasks have to be treated with the same rigour and attention as deliberate combat operations. Sustainment activities in a COIN environment are so different between links and nodes that tasks themselves seem to separate along links and nodes. Recovery, for example, is a task that is really only conducted in the links, whereas maintenance must be in some form of node. Movement is a link task, whereas transport is more of a node function. Thus it is concluded that sustainment organizations, and their command and control structure, should be based on their operation either in links or nodes. The difference between the two environments essentially comes down to a question of time and space. In the linear model, there are significant distances between areas of high threat and those where a lower threat can permit higher levels of sustainment production. However, in the non-linear context, the operational zone is highly compressed, reducing the requirement for echeloning of services. In a single tactical bound, one can now find amenities and services comparable of those that would be hundreds of kilometres away from the front lines. The following table provides a summary of those comparisons. Linear Battlefield Non-Linear Battlefield Long distances between organizations providing different levels of support. Units are spread out adjacent to one another. Sustainment is specialized at a certain level based on the threat in a given area. Sustainment resources are dedicated to specific organizations. Table 2: Summary of Comparisons between Sustainment Systems This compressing of the lines of operation into specific points offers possibilities whereby resources can be shared a sideways fashion between parallel organizations. Taking this to the next step, where resources are limited, and resources must be managed at certain locations it becomes critical to encourage this sideways movement of support, sharing among any and all nodes in the battlespace. In the following section, it will be shown that this concept leads to the distribution of resources in a fashion that can be compared to that of a network. The Sustainment Network Many levels of support are available in the same location. Units are co-located with one another. Sustainment is highly varied to respond to a myriad of requirements in a given node. Sustainment resources can be used to offer support to all units in a given location. OP ATHENA Roto 4 has progressed since the establishment of the first two nodes with the aim of expanding the inkblot of security throughout the Kandahar Province. The Joint Task Force Afghanistan (JTFA) did this through the establishment of a significant number of nodes and links, stretching the sustainment requirements over a greater and greater area. It became necessary to establish a support concept whereby resources could be shared and distributed from node to node depending on the formation commander’s intent. Let us use the following representative model for discussion. Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.2 Summer 2008 51
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Practical Sustainment Concepts for the Non-Linear Battlespace

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