OM3401 Principles of Operational Logistics

This course introduces Operational Logistics (OPLOG) as the discipline that plans and sustains military forces at the operational level of warfare. It integrates quantitative analysis with historical and qualitative perspectives to examine the resources, processes, and information required to support campaigns.

Topics include logistics attributes, analytical tools, sustainment demand forecasting, information requirements and flows, and logistics network analysis. Students apply mathematical models while also addressing non-quantifiable factors such as uncertainty, adversarial action, and organizational complexity.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the OA3611, the student should be able to:

1. Explain the military context and conceptual foundations of operational logistics, including its role at different levels of warfare and its application in historical campaigns.
2. Describe the structure, terminology, and functional areas of operational logistics, including cognitive, structural, and operational properties; responsiveness; and macro- and micro-logistics planning cycles.
3. Apply quantitative tools and models to analyze operational logistics problems, including the use of metrics to assess efficiency, intrinsic flexibility, and structural flexibility.
4. Analyze logistics information requirements, including the types of information needed by operational logisticians, key characteristics of logistics information systems, and their role in planning and execution.
5. Develop and assess forecasts of operational logistics demand under battlefield uncertainty, accounting for attrition, consumption, and uncertainty in sustainment requirements.
6. Model and analyze logistics networks to represent deployment and sustainment in a theater of operations, supporting macro-level planning and optimization of logistics systems.