Editing Logistics (section)

== Military logistics ==
{{Main|Military logistics}}
[[File:A mule column of the 2nd Punjabi Regiment carries supplies to the front line, Burma, 1944. IND3423.jpg|thumb|The [[Punjab Regiment (Pakistan)|Punjab Regiment]] using mules for transporting cargo in [[Burma]] during [[World War II]]. Animals have been used for logistical transport throughout history; the [[Roman army]] preferred mules over donkeys for cargo transport.<ref>J.P. Roth, The logistics of Roman army at war (264 B.C. -A.D. 235) https://www.academia.edu/2450333/Logistics_of_the_Roman_Army_at_War</ref>]]
In military science, maintaining one's supply lines while disrupting those of the enemy is a crucial—some would say the most crucial—element of [[military strategy]], since an armed force without resources and transportation is defenseless. The historical leaders [[Hannibal]], [[Alexander the Great]], and the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]] are considered to have been logistical geniuses: Alexander's expedition benefited considerably from his meticulous attention to the provisioning of his army,<ref>Donald W. Engels, Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, University of California 1980</ref> Hannibal is credited to have "taught logistics" to the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] during the [[Punic Wars]]<ref>[[Ayrault Dodge Theodore]], Hannibal: A History of the Art of War Among the Carthaginians and Romans Down to the Battle of Pydna, 168 BC. Da Capo Press. 1995</ref> and the success of the Anglo-Portuguese army in the [[Peninsula War]] was due to the effectiveness of Wellington's supply system, despite the numerical disadvantage.<ref>Troy T. Kirby, The Duke of Wellington and the Supply System During the Peninsula War, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 2014</ref> The defeat of the British in the [[American War of Independence]] and the defeat of the [[Axis powers|Axis]] in the [[Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II|African theater]] of [[World War II]] are attributed by some scholars to logistical failures.<ref>Roger Morriss, "Colonization, Conquest, and the Supply of Food and Transport: The Reorganization of Logistics Management, 1780–1795," ''War in History,'' (July 2007), 14#3 pp&nbsp;310–324,</ref>

Militaries have a significant need for logistics solutions and so have developed advanced implementations. [[Integrated logistics support]] (ILS) is a discipline used in military industries to ensure an easily supportable system with a robust customer service (logistic) concept at the lowest cost and in line with (often high) reliability, availability, maintainability, and other requirements, as defined for the project.

In [[military logistics]], [[Logistics Officer]]s manage how and when to move resources to the places they are needed.

[[Supply chain management]] in military logistics often deals with a number of variables in predicting cost, deterioration, [[consumables|consumption]], and future demand. The [[United States Armed Forces]]' categorical [[Classes of supply|supply classification]] was developed in such a way that categories of supply with similar consumption variables are grouped together for planning purposes. For instance, peacetime consumption of ammunition and fuel will be considerably lower than wartime consumption of these items, whereas other classes of supply such as subsistence and clothing have a relatively consistent consumption rate regardless of war or peace.

Some classes of supply have a linear demand relationship: as more troops are added, more supply items are needed; or as more equipment is used, more fuel and ammunition are consumed. Other classes of supply must consider a third variable besides usage and quantity: time. As equipment ages, more and more [[spare part|repair parts]] are needed over time, even when usage and quantity stay consistent. By recording and analyzing these trends over time and applying them to future scenarios, the [[US Naval Advance Bases|US Armed Forces]] can accurately supply troops with the items necessary at the precise moment they are needed.<ref>{{cite journal|url = http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug09/joint_analysistool.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150509141920/http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug09/joint_analysistool.html |url-status = dead |archive-date = 9 May 2015 |title = The Joint Logistics Analysis Tool|journal = Army Logistician|volume = 41|issue=4|date = July–August 2009|first1= Peter J.|last1= Cloutier|first2= Brian K.|last2= Frank}}</ref> History has shown that good logistical planning creates a lean and efficient fighting force. The lack thereof can lead to a clunky, slow, and ill-equipped force with too much or too little supply.