A Defence Essay on Changes to Tactical Truck Designs in Order to Reduce Logistic Footprint

Oleh: Kapten (Cpl) Tumpal R. Napitupulu, Kagud Alpal Pal Kopassus, Kadiv Hubungan Pemerintah TANDEF

INTRODUCTION

1.         Indonesia is a vast archipelagic country. It has 17,504 islands with more than 8,000 kilometre square territory.1 Therefore, Indonesia offers great challenges to army logisticians to conduct logistics support. In addition, there are also challenges from Indonesia’s geographical characteristics which require special planning and resources in delivering logistics supply. Mountainous area, wide and deep rivers, beaches, and valleys are some of the examples Indonesia natural challenges.

2.         In terms of logistics support, tactical trucks play important roles. It is important not only as a tool of transporting goods, but also in delivering personnel to areas of operation. It also proves as an essential asset to the army.2 However, with the current ageing fleet, limited defence budget, and vulnerability in current tactical truck designs, it has been brought to mind the idea of modifying tactical trucks design to reduce the logistics footprint towards future operational challenges.

3.         This essay will discuss the reasons, key points, and implementation of changing tactical truck designs in order to reduce the logistics footprint in the area of operation. This essay will also relate some of the facts and lessons learned by the US Army on war on global terrorism. In addition, the experience gained by the US Army is then used for reviewing and renewing its tactical trucks fleet3. These facts and lessons learned by the US Army during war on global terrorism are closely related to the consideration of the Indonesian Army’s tactical truck designs.

REASON FOR CHANGING TACTICAL TRUCK DESIGN

4.         There are three main reasons on why we need to re-design army tactical trucks; ageing fleet, limited defence budget, and vulnerability in the current fleet. Some of these reasons come from personal experience as an army logistician for eight years. In addition, some of the facts of the current condition of our tactical trucks are sourced from the Annual Vehicle Inventory Report-Form 16.4

5.         Ageing Fleet. Indonesia army employs various types of trucks which are procured from various countries. Some of the manufacturers of the trucks are Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Hino. Most of them have reached more than 15 years operational time.5 The attempt to renew the fleet has failed due to the Indonesian Defence Force’s (TNI) limited budget.6 In addition, various types of trucks which are employed in the Indonesian army have limited interoperability due to different sources of manufacturers and spare parts. Thus, the maintenance cost soars as the operational time increases. In short, an ageing fleet has created more expensive operational costs, not only because of its limited interoperability between various kinds of trucks, but also soaring prices of scarcely found spare parts.7

6.         Limited Defence Budget. Indonesian government throughout the year has allocated limited amount of money for the defence budget. Currently, Indonesia invests less than 1% of it Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for defence interests.8 According to the Minister of Defence, Professor Sudarsono, Department of Defence requires US$ 12 billion for the 2008 Defence Budget. However, the current government could only afford to provide US$ 3.5 billion.9 Therefore, a carefully constructed defence procurement decision on tactical trucks is essential in creating effective and efficient defence spending. This should be addressed by, first of all, changing the current tactical trucks design in order to reduce the army’s logistics footprint.

7.         Vulnerability in the current fleet. As mentioned in the 2007 Annual Vehicle Inventory Report, most army trucks are procured through various manufacturers. One of the examples is the Army Truck Mitsubishi 120PS.10 This truck is basically a commercial type truck (Mitsubishi Colt Diesel 125PS) which then painted with army green paint without the adequate composition of armour on its body.11 Therefore, it is very dangerous to use this truck for transporting troops or logistics supply in conflict areas, where insurgents still operate. In addition, with the current trend of guerrilla warfare by several insurgent groups in Indonesia, the possibility of logistics convoy being ambushed or mined is high. As Ken Deylami said in his army research paper on A Lesson from the Past for Safer Future Tactical Vehicles that army should put the safety of personnel using tactical trucks at the highest priority. Therefore, the design of tactical trucks should meet the safety requirement for its specific operational purpose.12

KEY POINTS IN CHANGING TACTICAL TRUCK DESIGN

8.         There are several key points in changing tactical trucks design. Tactical trucks must be able to perform various kinds of capabilities supported by modular design. For example, it must have the capability to be deployable, responsive, agile, survivable, and lethal at any mission as stated in the concept of US Army Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS).13 In addition, uniform vehicle chassis and modular add-on platforms of tactical trucks are other points which require consideration in changing tactical truck design.14 However, the US FTTS model should be adjusted to the current logistics condition of Indonesian Army in order to gain compatibility values towards Indonesian Army requirements for tactical trucks.

9.         Deployability. Deployability means that tactical truck should be able to be deployed from various military delivery platforms assets.15 Indonesian Defence Force (TNI) has several military delivery platform assets, such as Hercules C-130 (Indonesian Air Force) and Landing Ship Craft (Indonesian Navy).16 Therefore, it is mandatory that any tactical trucks should have dimensions which have been carefully measured to suit the space available in both Hercules C-130s of Indonesian Air Force and Landing Ship Crafts of Indonesian navy.

10.       Responsiveness. Responsiveness means that tactical truck should have greater fuel efficiency and wider operational range than the current fleet.17 In addition, an integrated communication system between each tactical truck in the fleet is essential to create responsiveness towards the operational workload.18 These two key points of responsiveness are necessarily needed to cope with Indonesia’s geographical characteristics which consist of vast mountainous area and flat land.

11        Agility. Agility means that tactical trucks should have higher mobility rated speed, especially in cross country assignments.19 This capability is especially necessary in areas of operation such as Aceh or Papua. In addition, tactical trucks should be able to approach and bypass urban areas in order to deliver supplies or personnel to fighting units.20 Both of the specifications are very relevant to the current geographical condition of Indonesia. It is important to have a fleet of army tactical trucks which can operate not only in urban area, but also in mountainous area.

12.       Survivability. Survivability brings the consequence that every tactical truck should be able to deliver their payloads to the target area in a safe and good condition within the operational time frame.21 Currently, most of tactical and logistics trucks are soft-skinned vehicles by nature. This fact is understandable due to conventional concepts of warfare which puts logistics assets far behind the heat of battle, thus rendering trucks and its crew from immediate enemy firepower. However, with the current urban or asymmetric warfare, our logistics assets are constantly under threat of being shot or mined by the enemy. Therefore, ballistic protection in some form of add-on protection system is essential for current tactical trucks.22

13.       Lethality. With the current change in the nature of warfare, it is important that tactical truck fleet should be able not only to protect itself from enemy fire, but also, when it is necessary, to return the fire to the striking enemy. This is the purpose of lethality in tactical trucks.23 Therefore, the installation of weapon mounting system is necessary to add the lethality factor to the tactical truck fleets. It doesn’t necessarily build for defeating the enemy, but simply for gaining better tactical positions or a situation, in order to provide opportunity for friendly forces to continue with their task.

14.       Uniform vehicle chassis and modular platform. It is essential for every tactical truck procured for Indonesian Army is built on uniform vehicle chassis and modular platforms. Uniform vehicle chassis means a standard vehicle chassis design. Modular platform means that tactical truck function can be easily adjusted to different type of assignments.24 Both uniform vehicle chassis and modular platform are essential for developing an effective and efficient vehicle maintenance sequence within the transportation fleet. An example of this is the improvement in personnel provision system, especially the allocation of mechanics for trucks. In addition, multi role capabilities are surely achieved with modular platforms system.25

IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGING TACTICAL TRUCK DESIGN

15.       The implementation of changing tactical trucks design will result in the reduction of logistics footprint.26 In addition, there are other advantages of changing tactical truck designs such as enabling multi-role capability and improving personnel provision systems (mechanics for trucks). The fact outlined earlier in this essay indicate that all of these advantages are inter connected to each other in a supplementary role.

16.       Reducing logistics footprint. Logistics footprint is the representative of the relative size of logistics assets on the battlefield.27 The current supply-based logistics system has created a larger logistics footprint which is really vulnerable to sabotage action from enemy activity in the area of operation. Therefore, the logistics system must be shifted to a distribution-based system which ensures the rapid delivery and seamless support of packages in the right place, within the decided time frame. This system could only be supported with a tactical truck fleet which has deployability, responsiveness, and agility to cope with the pressure of workload and operating environment.28

17.       Enabling multi-role capabilities. The installation of modular platforms will enable tactical trucks to perform various capabilities based on mission requirements. This is the actual multi role capabilities. Modular platforms can be implemented in the form of container transport, tanker, or recovery assets. Therefore, each tactical truck will be able to perform several tasks within the designated place and time frame29. Within this system, it is possible to assign a smaller number of tactical truck assets as each of them is able to perform various tasks.30 Therefore, enabling multi-role capabilities directly contributes to the reduction of the logistics footprint.

18.       Improving personnel provision system. Tactical trucks require adequate amounts of maintenance performed by specialist personnel, namely mechanics. Therefore, the more truck types we have in our transportation fleet, the more mechanics we need to maintain the operational readiness of the trucks. With the concept of a uniform vehicle chassis, we can create a fleet of tactical trucks which share commonalities31. Thus, the number of mechanics can be reduced as one mechanic is qualified to several trucks. This system is able to improve the personnel provision system. With the reduction of mechanics deployed to the area of operation, it then directly supports the reduction of the logistics footprint.

CONCLUSION

19.       Logistics support in the future will be delivered under different conditions requiring actual command and control over forces deployed in the battlefield. Land forces will operate in asymmetric formation and require the ability to rapidly re-organise the battlefield.32 Therefore, a distribution-based logistics system, which focuses on the reduction of the logistics footprint, is ideal for delivering supplies to deployed units in the area of operation.33 In conclusion, it is necessary for the Indonesian Army to change the design of its current tactical trucks in order to reduce the logistics footprint. In addition, it will also reduce the cost of building modern tactical truck fleets for the Indonesian Army.

Endnotes