Requirements for Unmanned Aerial Logistics in the Support of the United States Marine Corps

Abstract

The U.S. Marine Corps is responsible for fighting in remote, austere locations. When aerial resupply is the only option to reach these warfighters, timely and abundant replenishment is jeopardized. Furthermore, ever-increasing requirements for aircraft missions and strict maintenance cycles leave available manned air platforms scarce. The maturation of unmanned systems presents a solution for future replenishment of warfighters distributed throughout the battlefield. This thesis develops requirements for an unmanned aerial logistics system (UALS) that can be implemented in the Marine Corps logistics process in conjunction with doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities and policy (DOTMLPF-P) considerations. Additionally, this research uses a systems engineering approach to develop design considerations for a future UALS platform. Finally, it provides recommendations for the DOTMLPF-P gaps identified from the Marine Corps Warfighting Labs capabilities development document and offers functional flow diagrams for successful UALS employment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1114697

Entities

People

  • Alexander J. Preston

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Autonomous Systems
  • Cognitive Systems Engineering
  • Control Systems
  • Doctrine
  • Employment
  • Logistics
  • Maintenance
  • Military Science
  • Organizational Structure
  • Students
  • Systems Engineering
  • United States
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Unmanned Systems
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs