25 - 26 November, 2019 The St. Regis Amman, Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Conference Day One: Monday, 25 November 2019
8:00 am - 9:00 am Registration, refreshments and networking
9:00 am - 9:10 am IQPC welcome and opening remarks
KUWAIT LOGISTICS
Kuwait has been pivotal to the decades-long effort to secure the Arabian Gulf region because of its consistent cooperation with allies such as the US and the GCC, involvement in military operations in the region and its key location in the northern Gulf. It is due to this key location, that the country’s role as a logistics hub is being increasingly enhanced during recent years. Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) that has combatted the Islamic State is based in the country, Kuwait is part of the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen and is hosting the largest US military airport in the region.
9:10 am - 9:30 am Welcoming remarks on behalf of the Armament and Procurement Authority of Kuwait Armed Forces
Major General Anwar Jassim Al Mazidi
Chief of the Armament and Procurement AuthorityKuwait Armed Forces
9:30 am - 9:50 am Welcoming remarks on behalf of the Kuwaiti Army
9:50 am - 10:10 am Welcoming remarks on behalf of the Kuwaiti Navy
10:10 am - 10:40 am “Cargo City”, a strategic military logistics supply point
The $32 million facility will serve as the largest aerial port of debarkation in the Middle East and is until its replacement, West Al-Mubarak Air Base, is scheduled to open sometime in 2023.
- Providing allies an extra hub for operations in the Middle East
- Lessons learnt from the construction of the base
- Future steps in the project development for West Al-Mubarak Air
CONTRACTORS ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Armed Forces worldwide are increasing their dependence on contractors on the battlefield. Yet, commercial contracting for military operations is not a new practice for the Defence Forces. The large mobilisations of the First and Second World War witnessed the majority of involved parties making use of civilian-crewed merchant ships to transport supplies and soldiers
10:40 am - 11:10 am Operational Contract Support (OCS): Conceptual and doctrinal considerations
From a global perspective, various OCS models are currently being utilised by numerous militaries during deployed operations. These include the US, Canada and the UK.
What exactly are the cores of OSC?
- Contractor support (irrespective of scale, scope or service-type) as an expected component of the force sustainment
- Contractor support needs to be planned throughout the various operational planning and execution phases
- OCS is a blueprint depicting full contractor integration in joint operations
11:10 am - 11:40 am Performance-based logistics (PBL) contracting to improve warfighter readiness
Supplier incentives have been reversed from the more spares and repairs I can sell, the more profit I can make to the less I use, the more profit I can make.
However, how can shifting responsibility for outcomes to suppliers while also lowering overall lifecycle costs work?
- Transforming the supplier/customer relationship to a focus on outcomes versus transactions
- Long-term planning and investment in improvement
- Better inventory management, resource planning through opportunities to reduce labour costs and fewer but higher-priced long-term contracts
11:40 am - 12:20 pm Coffee and networking break
DEVELOPMENTS IN HEAVY LIFT
Military leaders are internationally pushing to reduce the number of ground convoys and thus reduce exposure of personnel to the ever-increasing number of improvised explosive devices. Strategic and outsize airlift has long been an issue. Movement by land would be by road in the GCC leaving personnel and equipment highly exposed to threats. Transporting forces by sea is equally difficult, Defence Forces would probably have to rely on strategic airlift to transport forces, but airlift capacity is scarce
12:20 pm - 12:50 pm Meeting future requirements with new heavy airlift assets procurement
In the Asia Pacific region, the Hercules remains in service with 15 air forces as multi-role medium transports. However, many of these aircrafts are approaching obsolescence.
Which though would be the best replacement alternatives for the KC-130?
- Fuel efficiency for long-range fields of operation
- Standard complement and maximum payload; numbers always matter
- Multi-mission and medium transport aircrafts; are they a viable option?
Reserved:
12:50 pm - 1:10 pm Partnership, presence and military readiness: Allied operations in the Gulf and mission requirements
In an environment shaped by alliances, coordination in the field of logistics, particularly when it has to do with resupply of resources is crucial.
How is the Kuwaiti Air Force planning to cope with this challenge?
- Frequency channel routes and requirement channel routes identification
- Software assisted configuration and route planning for maximum cargo transport
MAINTAINING ASSET VISIBILITY THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN
During operations, thousands of containers entering the theatre are required to be stopped, opened, inventoried, resealed, and reprocessed into the transportation system, resulting in delays in receipt of critical equipment. These delays, combined with poor reporting, most often result in the shortage of shipment and asset visibility information en-route to theatre. Automatic Identification Technology (AIT) and its adoption by an increasing number of militaries is now though helping overcome this challenge.
1:10 pm - 1:40 pm Enhancing military logistics and supply chains with Internet of Things sensor integration
IoT software platforms, have been deployed across major aerospace and defence companies resulting in substantial supply chain cost savings due to increased productivity, asset visibility, and standardisation.
Can this capability be also widely introduced now to the Armed Forces?
- Integrating disparate sensor technologies to connect people data and processes across camps and supply chains
- Using “sensor-agnostic” software solutions to solve interoperability challenges
- Replacing existing manual processes with automation to effectively track and manage inventory
1:40 pm - 2:10 pm Logistics visibility in the joint logistics environment (JLE)
With Information Agencies as the lead, Armed Forces. must define a data framework, identify authoritative data sources, and influence and guide the JLE’s network-centric data strategy.
What are though the internationally accepted best practices to help achieve that?
- Replacing aging and stovepiped tactical logistics systems with web-based ERP solutions
- Leveraging cutting-edge industry capabilities through commercial off-the-shelf software
- Including reparable end items to real-time visibility capacities