Sustaining U.S. Army Operations in the Indo-Pacific

Previous research has identified that logistics and sustainment shortfalls are a critical barrier to U.S. operational success in the Indo-Pacific. In this report, the authors identify five case countries (Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea) and assess their potential to support key logistics and sustainment activities. In their assessment, the authors focus on each case country’s commercial capabilities to provide essential logistical supplies, commercial maritime capabilities, and fuel production and consumption capacities. The authors also catalog some of the practical and political barriers to the provision of such support.

The purpose of the authors’ analysis was to conduct an initial examination and generate a first set of insights and recommendations. These initial findings suggest that existing Army logistics and sustainment efforts in the Indo-Pacific face substantial challenges that cannot be overcome on their own, allies and partners will have to overcome political and legal barriers to provide logistical and sustainment support, and the legal and contractual basis for multilateral logistics and sustainment support in this region remains weak. However, there are areas where the Army could receive critical support (such as food and fuel), and the case countries reviewed could provide modest assistance with intra-theater maritime lift requirements. Thus, the authors recommend that the Army conduct further analysis of ally and partner capacities and existing agreements, identify highest-priority categories for multinational support, expand contracting capabilities, include multinational logistics as a major component of future theater exercises, and invest in added sustainment capabilities in the theater.