Security Assistance; and Logistics - Federation of American Scientists

Part II – Arms, Ammunition, and ExplosivesIntroductionThe “Department of Defense Strategic Plan for the Distribution of Arms, Ammunition,and Explosives,” (AA&E Strategic Plan) May 2004, was developed to improve theoversight, management, control, safety, and security of AA&E across the entire DoDlogistics chain. 9The ChallengeThe AA&E Strategic Plan states:The Department of Defense faces a significant challenge as it seeks toprotect and safely test, acquire, produce, store, transport, maintain, anddispose of its arms, ammunition and explosives (AA&E) while iteffectively meets the requirements of warfighters for timely supplies ofAA&E worldwide. Meeting these demands must be effective andefficient in the face of an ever-changing and growing threatenvironment. Terrorists, or other individuals or entities pursuing theirown agenda, seek to exploit the vulnerabilities of the United States anduse our nation's AA&E and conveyances in ways never conceivedbefore.The ScopeThe scope includes selected activities in the testing, acquisition, production, storage,issue, transportation, receipt, and disposal of AA&E-from origin to final destination. Itfocuses on the distribution process and the interaction, integration, and interoperability ofthese logistics chain activities. The AA&E Strategic Plan encompasses the requisitesafety, security, and accountability provisions dictated by national, international, state,and local laws and regulations, host nation agreements, and DoD policies.The MissionThe mission of the AA&E logistics chain 10 is to provide an effective end-to-end systemthat consistently and quickly delivers AA&E materiel to the warfighter, while9 The DoD AA&E logistics chain comprises a partnership of commercial and internal DoD (organic)capabilities, assets and infrastructure, business processes, and technologies. While this [AA&E Strategic]plan does not specifically address actions involving tactical in-theater movement of AA&E, it is theresponsibility of the theater combatant commander to implement AA&E safety and security measurescommensurate with his mission and the threats and risks within his assigned geographic area ofresponsibility (see DoD 5100.76-M, Physical Security of Sensitive Conventional Arms, Ammunition, andExplosives,” August 12, 2000).10 In the context of the AA&E Strategic Plan, the logistics chain encompasses traditional distributionfunctions involving the issue, storage, packaging, transportation, and receipt of materiel. It alsoencompasses those functions that potentially affect the distribution process to include testing, procurement,and production of materiel and subsequent processes, such as demilitarization and disposal. It alsoencompasses the separate logistics and transportation sectors within the DoD portion of the FederalGovernment Critical Infrastructure Protection structure.29