Land forces support, with few exceptions, respects the principles of support in a joint and multinational context. Therefore, in this chapter, the term support to operations will refer to support to land operations.

The purpose of operations support is to meet the requirements of the Force. In the context of an operation, it must enable the force to establish itself, live and conduct any action that contributes to the achievement of the objectives set by the command. Also known as operational logistics, it is composed of twelve areas and is divided into two components: administration and logistics.

Operations support is based on in-theatre inbound logistics, including inter-theatre transport, and in-theatre outbound logistics.

Placed under the responsibility of headquarters staffs and directorates, inbound logistics is based on a national organization, from infrastructure establishments, depots and hospitals to the theatre joint logistics base. Outbound logistics is based on a joint, often multinational, theatre-specific organisation. It is placed under the authority of COMANFOR, which has an ASIA Joint Support Assistant in the case of a national operation, or under that of a REPFRANCE, which delegates its execution to an ADCONFRANCE in the case of a multinational operation.

The optimal functioning of this chain is based on a rigorous organisation of transport, between national territory and theatre, to establish and maintain the three flows essential to the support of an operation: physical (personnel and resources), financial and information flows.

The new context of operations

Logistics and the continuum of operations

While meeting the Force's requirements, logistics focuses on specific areas of priority according to the phases of the continuum of operations:

• in the intervention phase - characterised by mobility and manoeuvre - combat logistics is implemented. Efforts are focused on the areas of medical support, equipment support and the supply of ammunition and fuel. This phase can be reduced to the simple deployment of the force.

• In the stabilisation phase, the Force's presence is long-lasting and simultaneously carries out military and humanitarian actions with the support of the local civilian and military authorities. New modes of action, such as the contractualization of support, are of definite interest. Despite the potential threat to convoys, soldier logistics are emerging and an effort is being made to provide support for parking, the condition of personnel on operations, human support and administration, particularly in the legal and financial fields.

• In a phase of normalisation - more than ever in a logic of economy of means - support is making greater use of the possibilities offered in theatre.

Simultaneous engagement in different theatres

The new operating environment is characterized by simultaneous commitments that make the organization, conduct and execution of support more complex. The dispersal of assets over several theatres and the increasing scarcity of resources make it necessary to optimise logistics capabilities. The consequences of this are the implementation of a policy of drawdown that meets the principle of strict sufficiency of the need expressed by the consumer of the resource and the centralisation of brigade support within a divisional support group.

Ucomplex geographical issues

Geostrategic developments have widened the scope of likely areas of engagement. Geographic diversity and the remoteness of theatres of operations affect the delivery of support and require increased adaptability of logistics. Logistics must show pragmatism in adapting to the physical constraints imposed by the environment both in the construction and implementation of its systems and in the choice of its modes of action to support an expeditionary force. For example, the use of support provided by host nations or from local markets or contracts whenever possible, as well as the establishment of security stocks, are effective options for dealing with climatic hazards and reducing the costs of emergency transport to remote theatres.

Pervasive urban areas

Urban areas are of particular importance. They are as much the site of confrontations with an asymmetrical adversary as they are the site of the Force's parking lot.

Confrontations in urban areas encourage the decentralization of responsibility and support execution to the lower levels to preserve the freedom of action of tactical elements in contact.

The city centre is not conducive to logistics and poses a threat to its poorly mobile and poorly protected units, making it difficult for them to operate, which requires stability and space. In built-up areas, only the commitment of armoured means in charge of ensuring essentially the medical care of the front and the essential supplies to maintain the autonomy of the units in contact will be envisaged. On the other hand, the periphery and approaches to the city offer infrastructures often adapted to logistical activities and the establishment of support bases.

The multinational nature of the commitments

The multinational framework of commitments has become the norm because it reinforces the legitimacy of an operation. Whether within a military alliance or a coalition of the willing, participating nations have the opportunity to share the human and financial costs generated by any military operation. Although logistics is a national responsibility, it becomes a collective responsibility in a multinational operation. Multinationality makes it possible to envisage the use of a common logistics organisation in the appropriate areas for the benefit of contingents that so wish. However, such an eventuality remains subject to consultation between all the parties involved in order to establish a support organization that is distributed, rational and adapted to the nature of the operation and which has an administrative, legal and financial basis.

Sustainability of logistics principles

Logistics, as an integral part of the manoeuvre, is based on the principles of warfare. The establishment of sufficient initial autonomy is in keeping with the principle of freedom of action. The maintenance of resource levels in the theatre also complies with the other principles of concentration of effort and economy of means through control.The maintenance of resource levels in the theatre also complies with the other principles of concentration of effort and economy of means through the control of the use of resources, their centralized management at the national operational level and the absence of a support element at brigade level.

Three major assumptions govern logistics:

• there is no intrinsic logistics manoeuvre, support is part of the overall manoeuvre and must adopt its organisational principles. Consequently, there is no immutable solution for the organisation of support. Each operation is based on an adapted and flexible support system;

• logistics does not have the power to determine the modes of action, but it can prohibit some of them;

• there can be no logistics performance without anticipation. The time in advance must be sought. This is only the logistical translation of the principle of freedom of action.

The multinational nature of commitments

The multinational framework of commitments has become the norm because it reinforces the legitimacy of an operation. Whether within a military alliance or a coalition of the willing, participating nations have the opportunity to share the human and financial costs generated by any military operation. Although logistics is a national responsibility, it becomes a collective responsibility in a multinational operation. Multinationality makes it possible to envisage the use of a common logistics organisation in the appropriate areas for the benefit of contingents that so wish. However, such an eventuality remains subject to consultation between all the parties involved in order to establish a support organization that is distributed, rational and adapted to the nature of the operation and which has an administrative, legal and financial basis.

Sustainability of logistics principles

Logistics, as an integral part of the manoeuvre, is based on the principles of warfare. The establishment of sufficient initial autonomy is in keeping with the principle of freedom of action. The maintenance of resource levels in the theatre also complies with the other principles of concentration of effort and economy of means through control.The maintenance of resource levels in the theatre also complies with the other principles of concentration of effort and economy of means through the control of the use of resources, their centralized management at the national operational level and the absence of a support element at brigade level.

Three major assumptions govern logistics:

• there is no intrinsic logistics manoeuvre, support is part of the overall manoeuvre and must adopt its organisational principles. Consequently, there is no immutable solution for the organisation of support. Each operation is based on an adapted and flexible support system;

• logistics does not have the power to determine the modes of action, but it can prohibit some of them;

• there can be no logistics performance without anticipation. The time in advance must be sought. This is only the logistical translation of the principle of freedom of action.

To that end, support for operations is based on nine principles.

If the continuum of operations does not call into question the perennial principles of logistics in operations, a new hierarchy will emerge.

Anticipation remains essential in view of the centralisation of resources and the geographical difficulties mentioned above. The current commitments also give particular importance to the principles of modularity, flexibility and interoperability. Indeed, only their scrupulous observance guarantees the ability to support in a multinational framework units of widely varying sizes often scattered over the theatre and to maintain the reversibility of arrangements and modes of action. Conversely, the disappearance of the notions of forward and rearward and the adoption by the Force of a more static system imposed by the control of the environment in the stabilisation phase diminish the relevance of the principle of lightening the front.

Developments in logistics

The Operations Support Continuum

The origin of the support provided to an operational force is multiple. It results from the combination of national, multinational and contractual support with that provided by the host nation. Throughout the continuum of operations, the level of overall support provided and the relative contribution of the different origins evolve as the operation unfolds, thus constituting a continuum of support.

Characterized by a spike due to significant requirements during the deployment of the force, the level of support generally remains high and then declines as it approaches the normalization phase during which it rebounds upon final withdrawal from the theatre. During this continuum, the national contribution on which the support provided to the Force is mainly based during the intervention phase decreases during the stabilization phase, leaving a larger share for contractualization if security conditions permit.

An enlarged perimeter

❐ The growing importance of new domains

The transition from the intervention phase to the stabilization phase leads logistics to move from combat logistics to soldier logistics. This change is reflected in the emergence of three new logistics areas: the condition of personnel in operations, environmental protection and health and safety in operations.

In the stabilization phase, the Force is making its presence felt over the long term. The conditions and pace of life of its members are normalizing. In this new context, the condition of personnel in operations (CPO) takes on greater importance, reflected in the establishment of a mechanism designed to preserve morale (improvement of living conditions, information, culture, sport, means of communication, etc.).

Likewise, the prolonged occupation of land on loan or rented premises is leading to a reconsideration of parking policy. Indeed, the prospect of restoring the areas occupied at the time of the disengagement makes it necessary to pay particular attention to the preservation of the environment in order to avoid any disputes. Finally, in phases of stabilization and normalization, when the working conditions within the logistics bases are similar to those in peacetime, the essential implementation of a relocation policy is essential.Finally, in phases of stabilization and standardization, when working conditions in logistics bases are similar to those in peacetime, the essential implementation of occupational safety rules makes the issue of health and safety in operations (HSO) a new area of logistics in its own right.

❐ The growing share of administration

The multinational nature of the commitments and the duration of the presence in the theatre naturally lead to a greater emphasis on administration, particularly in the legal and financial fields.

The need to live in a theatre for a long period of time, in a society where the law is becoming paramount, broadens the spectrum of legal questions to which UNFICYP must respond. Dispute resolution, the establishment of local contracts, procurement on the local market, support in the process of outsourcing support, the recruitment of local labour subject to labour and employment law and the provision of services in the field, as well as the provision of support in the field, are among the legal issues to be addressed by the Force. The missions of the administrative units of the deployed logistics organizations include an increasing number of tasks, such as settlement of disputes, preparation of local contracts, procurement on the local market, support for the outsourcing of support, recruitment of local staff subject to national labour and social legislation, establishment of leases and enforcement of customs regulations.

The multinational nature of the operations and the development of logistics cooperation between participating nations make the financial aspects particularly sensitive. In this context, the preservation of national interests and public funds places the question of compensation and reimbursement of costs shared between nations at the centre of logistics concerns.

❐ Support for populations

The predominance of densely populated urbanized areas gives the population special attention from the command. While during the intervention phase it can be perceived as a factor that can affect or even hinder the course of operations, during the stabilisation phase it becomes a determining factor for success.

Logistics can therefore intervene to improve the living conditions of the population. The areas of health support, transport, parking support and human support (water and food, etc.) then make a significant contribution. However, this resource-intensive mission must be included as early as possible in the planning process in order to reduce its impact on the overall capacity of logistics to support the Force, which must remain its raison d'être.

❐ The diversification of logistics modes of action

The prolonged presence of the Force and the desire to make the use of manpower more cost-effective have led to the use of new logistical approaches, such as the contractualization of support. This openness to outsourcing and recourse to subcontracting meets several objectives. It makes it possible to free up military capabilities and, through recourse to specialised companies, to seek greater support efficiency. Outsourcing, through the rational use of local or border resources, is also an important factor in the acceptance of the Force, through the economic aid it provides in addition.

Despite the advantages offered by contractualization, it is up to logistics to adopt a system that is sufficiently flexible to be able to cope with a possible deterioration in the security situation by returning to the patterns adopted during the intervention phase.

Finally, the multinational dimension leaves more room for logistical cooperation between contributing nations, thus enabling the optimisation of resources and services within the framework of prior technical agreements.

Stronger requirements

❐ Essential protection for logistics

The vulnerability of logistics is aggravated by the combination of a diffuse threat and an often large gap in space. Convoys are also a prime target for the psychological impact of the destruction on the morale of the Force and the population, but also for the consequences on operational capabilities.

The protection of logistics is therefore imperative. The creation of multinational logistic bases allowing the pooling of resources dedicated to their protection is one possible solution. Furthermore, it is important that escort missions should be genuine combat missions carried out with adapted vehicles. To that end, resources must be dedicated to the protection of logistics convoys as soon as the force is generated in order to avoid being taken from the battlegroups.

❐ A flexible system adapted to the need

The device is the result of a permanent compromise between the lightening of the combat echelons, the stability of the supporting establishments and the duration of the loops.

During the intervention phase, the transit time from metropolitan France to the theatre, as well as the duration of the loops in the theatre, require, before the triggering of theIn the intervention phase, the transit times from the mainland to the theatre and the duration of the loops in the theatre require the creation of large stocks and the activation of medical structures not only in the communications zone but also in the tactical zone at intermediate logistics bases before the operation is launched.

In the stabilisation phase, the evolution of the Force's modes of action and logistical requirements leads to a re-articulation of the support arrangements. Wherever possible, this is reflected in the abolition of the land logistics base and the adoption of a zonal type of support. Nevertheless, in order to anticipate a possible deterioration in the situation, reversibility requires the maintenance of two levels - operational and tactical - possibly co-located or partially shared.

❐ Intelligence

There is a specific and systematic need for logistical intelligence. Detailed knowledge of the port and airport infrastructures and communication networks of all kinds in a potential theatre has always been essential for the planning and preparation of a military intervention. The prospect of a long-term presence in a theatre also requires the most accurate possible knowledge of its industrial and commercial fabric.

Logistics can also contribute to the gathering of tactical intelligence. The frequent contact between the logistician and the population and the business community and the large number of convoys circulating in the theatre enable logistics to gather background information and thus complement the action of the units.

Logistics is based on support from national, multinational and contractual sources, which is accompanied by a diversification of modes of action and a broadening of its field of application.

The long-term nature of new commitments broadens the scope of operational logistics. It thus reserves a more important place for administration and the three emerging areas: the status of personnel in operations, health and safety in operations, and environmental protection. Logistics resources also contribute to the support of the population, which is a major issue.

The protection of assets, the adaptation of the system and the acquisition of logistical intelligence are essential imperatives for effective support.