Volume 18, No. 6, 2021
Logistic Network Optimization To Maximize Route Utilization: A Case Study Of Nato Supply Routes
Qaiser Ali, Bushra, Muhammad Jehangir, Dr.Aleem Gillani, Kanwal Mazhar
Abstract
This paper examines the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) fuel logistics operation in Afghanistan and its implications for the logistics community as a whole. The research focuses on a small group of individuals and how they were able to supply over three million liters of fuel per day to Afghanistan with minimal commitment from ISAF nations. The paper explains how these individuals managed NATO fuel operations outside of typical institutions such as the NATO Support Agency (NSPA) and the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy. In addition, this analysis compares NATO's mission in Afghanistan to analogous historical examples of large-scale coalition fuel initiatives with extensive communication networks. These historical case studies provide background for the successes of NATO logisticians and the level of risk they assumed in supplying gasoline to the ISAF deployment headed by NATO. In times when governments are reluctant or unable to provide logistical assistance for their military, the NATO case study serves as a model for coalition support.
Pages: 8735-8751
Keywords: North Atlantic Treaty Organization, International Security Assistance Force, Defense Logistics Agency.