Does the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Adequately Address Third Wave Logistics?
Abstract
Does the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) adequately address Third Wave Logistics? The purpose of this research is to determine if the QDR adequately incorporates or accommodates the futuristic defense logistics guidance found in Alvin and Heidi Toffler's "wave theory." This paper will examine "wave theory," the importance of the theory to U.S. national civilian and military leadership in developing defense program guidance, the impact of the theory on logistics, and the extent to which the QDR addresses the theory's concepts and logistics implications. The Tofflers argue that civilization transitions through "waves" of social structure and that specific characteristics of each wave define the criteria for societal success within that wave. The theory suggests that civilization has already passed through the agricultural wave (the First Wave) and the industrial wave (the Second Wave) and has now entered the information wave (the Third Wave). According to the theory, the foundations of the Third Wave military environment are information and knowledge, which are based on the integration of multiple highly sophisticated technologies. The new information environment will allow military force reductions, change the nature of the national industrial infrastructure, make the traditional concept of the ratio of combat power to support structure (tooth-to-tail ratio) irrelevant, and allow reduced reliance on prepositioning and forward basing. Many areas of QDR logistics are consistent with the Third Wave requirements of accelerated and knowledge-based operations, reduced mass, constant innovation, and systems integration. The following areas fall short: QDR discussions regarding prepositioning, tooth-to-tail ratio, agility of infrastructure, vulnerability of logistics data, strategic mobility, simultaneous multi-level operations, and Third Wave industrial mobilization.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA514708
Entities
People
- S. M. Fenstermacher
Organizations
- Marine Corps War College