Seaplanes! Enhancing Army Logistics in the Indo-Pacific by Reintroducing Seaplanes to the Navy and Air Force
Articles
Tue, 09/28/2021 - 5:32am
By Justin Baumann
Introduction
“One of the hidden ingredients behind the U.S. military’s enduring global superiority has long been its unequaled logistics system, which enables it to initiate and sustain complex joint military operations rapidly and effectively in any
corner of the world. Here, as in other elements of U.S. military superiority, continued innovation is vital.” - Thomas Ross, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Security Cooperation 2018
In discussing the Army’s role in protecting interests against adversaries in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM) theater of operations, it may seem counterintuitive that an article discusses Navy and Air Force platforms, but the Army cannot operate against adversaries while conducting Multi-Domain Operations (MDOs) or Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCOs) if it is not properly supplied.[ii] In the INDO-PACOM, this means the Army relies predominantly on current Navy and Air Force resupply platforms for sustaining operations and power projection across the vast Pacific Ocean.[iii]
In WWII, seaplanes were used extensively in the Pacific Theater of operations.[iv] Due to the water-centric geography of the region, these seaplanes became a formidable asset for U.S. military operations. As the United States Army transitions to Global Power Competition (GPC), innovation will be required to stay ahead of near peer-competitors like Russia and China, and to create a more robust and anti-fragile logistics network that can continue to operate across the spectrum of potential conflict types that may arise.[v]
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/seaplanes-enhancing-army-logistics-indo-pacific-reintroducing-seaplanes-navy-and-air-force
