Practical Sustainment Concepts for the Non-Linear Battlespace

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