Using an Adaptive Logistics Network in Africa

<p>Since the 1990s Africa has grown in strategic importance to the United States due to oil trade armed conflict terrorism and HIV/AIDS. As a result the United States created Africa Command (AFRICOM) a new military geographic combatant command. AFRICOM's mission is to aid African development and promote regional security. As part of its mission AFRICOM will need to move cargo throughout Africa which has the least developed transportation infrastructure in the world. Coupled with the poor infrastructure issue AFRICOM only has one base on the continent and extremely limited dedicated transport assets. AFRICOM logistics planners' solution to this problem is the creation of an Adaptive Logistics Network (ALN) that can expand or contract as necessary using in place transportation assets owned by African businesses. However logistics planners still must know how much cargo can be pushed through individual airports and once there how far that cargo can be moved in a given amount of time. Two mobility modeling simulations the Airport Simulation Tool (AST) and the Enhanced Logistics Intra-theater Support Tool (ELIST) are detailed by this study showing how they can assist in estimating the answers to how much and how far. The models' capabilities and limitations are explored and recommendations are made to assist AFRICOM in the use of these two tools to aid AFRICOM logistics planning and forecasting.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>