The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

operations persist. One author who urged for the
transition from fixed storage to military material distribution
centers, for example, criticized the excessive
levels within the logistics chain of command, which
interfere in requisition processing, 71 consequently delaying
support to end users. Local barriers also disrupt
cross leveling of supplies. Additionally, the lack
of information technology undermines the ability to
exercise command visibility over logistics assets. As
a result, inventory visibility is often limited to independent
storage facilities, where PLA supplies and
materials remain in static storage. 72 The author recommended
application of optical storage cards, bar
codes, and radio-frequency technology to accurately
assess available supplies and materials and to accurately
track distribution. 73
A 2001 analysis of the logistics challenges to support
amphibious operations 74 against Taiwan also
frankly discussed logistics challenges to support military
operations under the challenging conditions of
an amphibious assault across 1,000 kilometers. He
concluded that the Chinese military logistics system
could not provide all the necessary logistics supplies
for island landing operations, and he expressed skepticisms
over how civilian ships and fishing boats could
assist a forced landing on the island to support combat
operations. Consequently, he recommended adapting
combat operations according to the logistic limitations
and realities. In particular, he recommended logistics
operations during the initial phase of the battle be
supported by air cover provided by helicopters. Mobilization
of civilian ships to support logistics, he wrote,
could be achieved during the second and later phases
of the operation once China had seized Taiwan and
the Strait, and military operations were subsequently
577