Logistics comes from the Greek word logistike - the art of calculating, reasoning. The history of the emergence and development of logistics goes back to the distant past. logistics science civil reserve

The first positions of logisticians appeared in Dr. Athens. During the period of the Roman Empire, there were servants of logistics or logistics who were engaged in the distribution of products, the formation of stocks, and the exchange between provinces. In Byzantium in the 1st millennium AD. the tasks of logistics were arming the army, supplying it with military equipment.

The first scientific papers on logistics appeared in France at the beginning of the 19th century, their author, A. Jomini, a military specialist.

Logistics developed especially rapidly during World War II, when it was used to solve strategic problems and to clearly interact with the defense industry, supply bases and transport in order to provide the army with weapons and food in a timely manner. In the 60s, logistics gradually moved from the military to the civilian, and then to production. At the end of the 20th century, logistics science includes purchasing, transport, production, information, and marketing logistics. Thus, logistics seeks to satisfy the needs of the consumer as much as possible with minimal costs for the manufacturer.

Logistics is the science of planning, controlling and managing transportation, warehousing and other tangible and intangible operations performed in the process of bringing raw materials and materials to manufacturing enterprise, intra-factory processing of raw materials and materials, bringing products to the consumer in accordance with the interests and requirements of the latter, as well as the transfer of storage and processing of relevant information and relevant financial flows. Logistics is the science of managing the movement of goods.

If we turn to history, then the army and wars were the decisive factor for the emergence of logistics. The very existence of logistics originates in the French armed forces at the end of the 17th century - at that time, logistics was understood as a set of measures aimed at providing military operations with the necessary equipment, provisions and ammunition.

Nowadays, logistics is defined as the movement of raw materials or goods from the place of extraction to production and from production to the place of sale. The Logistics Management Council gives the following formulation: “Logistics is the process of planning, implementing and managing an efficient and cost-effective process for the movement and storage of raw materials, data on the availability of goods in a warehouse, finished goods and related information from the point of production to the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of the consumer."

Logistics as a science and practice in the civil sphere began to take shape in the twentieth century in the United States, and then in Western Europe. In the genesis of logistics of the twentieth century. some scientists distinguish the following four historical stages: 1) the period of "fragmentation" (1920 - 1950), the formulation of the prerequisites for the formation logistics concept, tools to reduce overall costs and manage material flows; 2) the period of formation of the concept of physical distribution as an integral part of marketing (1950 - 1970), the theory and practice of logistics; search for new ways to reduce costs in production and distribution, development of computer information technologies as a means of reducing costs; 3) the period of development (1970 - 1980) and the application of logistics in practice, finding ways to reduce costs in production and distribution (distribution) based on the concept of business logistics, distribution of logistics systems, philosophy universal control quality and industrial logistics. 4) the period of integration (1980 -1990) of the logistics functions of the company and its logistics partners in the so-called complete logistics chain: procurement - production - distribution - sales to achieve the business goal at minimal cost; management along with material and related information flows, the creation of international logistics systems, logistics as one of the most important strategic tools in competition. Another group of foreign and domestic scientists identifies three periods in the development of material product distribution systems: 1) the pre-logistical period (until the 1950s), when the management of material distribution was fragmented, and the coordination of the actions of various divisions of firms was insufficient; 2) the period of classical logistics (the beginning of the 60s - the end of the 70s), characterized by the creation of logistics systems in firms instead of organizing optimal transportation; managing firms in the process of product distribution based on an integrated approach, integrating the functions of product distribution using the theory of compromises; 3) the period of neologistics, or logistics of the second generation (early 80s), which is characterized by the expansion of the scope of compromises in the concept of logistics, the predominance of an integrated approach to the development of logistics systems based on the entire enterprise based on the common goal - to achieve maximum efficiency work of the entire firm. In the mid-1980s, the integrated approach was further developed in the form of the concept of "shared responsibility"; the specifics of the new approach consisted in the exit of the logistics system beyond the economic sphere and taking into account social, environmental and political aspects; criterion - the maximum ratio of benefits and costs.

IN modern world logistics is a very broad area of ​​activity, on which the standard of living of society largely depends. Consumers are used to expecting high-quality service from logistics and, in fact, remember it only when there are problems with the delivery of goods or services. With the ongoing struggle to increase productivity, the business has come a long way in overcoming the challenges that have arisen while improving logistics. While many of these changes have affected supply chain management and distribution, the core mission of logistics remains the same: to organize the most quality service buyer at the lowest cost.

As for the global economy, the goal of transnational corporations is to achieve maximum efficiency in the process of delivering goods and services to the consumer, whether it be a private buyer or another corporation. Therefore, despite the huge progress that enterprises, and indeed entire countries, have managed to achieve in the development of logistics, there is still a wide field of activity for further optimization of these processes. There are several reasons for this:

• 1) Consumers expect and demand a higher level of service;
• 2) The advent of the Internet has blurred the line between consumer and producer;
• 3) Thanks to the Internet, the exchange of information between consumers has become much more intense.

All over the world (especially in the US), consumers expect corporations to go beyond delivering ordered goods. In addition to technical support for the use of a particular product, consumers expect companies to provide additional services. These additional services can be focused directly on the consumer, on the promotion of a product or service, on more efficient production or to reduce time costs.

More changes have taken place in logistics in the last 10 years than in all the years since the industrial revolution. As an industry with great opportunities, logistics points the way forward for the development of supply chain processes, thus allowing production to focus on its core tasks. The traditional supply chain consists of five links: supplier, manufacturer, distributor, retailer and end consumer. In some industries, e-commerce, coupled with information technology, make possible the direct interaction of the supplier or manufacturer with the consumer. Those businesses that want to survive the competition and stay on the market should focus their efforts on improving the quality of logistics in three areas: order processing, shipping and warehouse management.

The consumer order cycle lasts from the moment the order is placed until the customer receives the goods. This cycle includes receiving an order, checking the status of the order and informing the buyer about the change in this status, required documents and delivery of the ordered goods to the buyer. This cycle also includes checking the availability of goods in the warehouse, checking the solvency of the buyer (in the case of payment by bank card or through an electronic payment system), invoicing and receiving money. Previously, a customer could place an order in the following ways: fill out a paper form and give it to the seller, send it by mail, or dictate your order over the phone to a clerk. As you improve technical means, the buyer was able to fax the completed form to the supplier's representative office equipped with automatic system order processing.

Today, computers, e-mail and the Internet make it possible to significantly reduce the order cycle and at the same time create a continuous process without the use of paper documentation, convenient for both the consumer and the company. Many corporations are already developing "virtual organizations" - holistic, interactive parts, systems that span multiple departments and sub-organizations. The payoff from such integration is so great that it provides these companies with significant competitive advantages- due to the best customer service and minimization of order execution time.

Using the services of Internet service providers, consumers, whether individuals or corporations, get access to information sources, as well as the ability to order directly from corporations and communicate with other Internet users.

An example of the inefficiency of the traditional ordering system is the following: earlier from the time of manufacture personal computer and before selling it to retail network 47 days passed. Dell's "make-to-order" model of selling computers over the Internet reduced the time to one day. It turned out that customers do not order models with 1 GB hard drives, but prefer 3 GB, so the company stopped purchasing 1 GB drives. The manufacturing companies offered the surplus of these drives to other PC manufacturers at a lower price. They jumped at the offer. After 47 days, it turned out that no one wants to buy computers with a one-gigabyte hard drive. Such a high price proved the effectiveness of the model of creating a PC to order.

The paper product market is here to stay because paper documents will still be used to deliver goods to the customer, and customers will continue to read paper newspapers, books and magazines. However, as demonstrated in the previous example, businesses have entered the era of digital information and electronic order processing to provide customers with Additional services in marketing and communications.

And since production costs are only part of the total supply chain costs, successful enterprises should strive to reduce not only production costs but also shipping costs.

Russia has made a significant contribution to the development of logistics. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, professors of communications in St. Petersburg published a work called "Transport Logistics". On its basis, models for the transportation of troops, their provision and supply were built. These models have received practical use when planning and conducting a number of campaigns of the Russian army during the First World War.

In the USSR during the years of the first five-year plans, on the basis of the principles transport logistics cargo delivery schedules were developed for the most important construction projects, polar and other expeditions. During the Great Patriotic War military communications services organized the movement of front-line cargo by all modes of transport. In the post-war period, logistics has been further developed. In particular, in 1950 the work of B.G. Bakhaev "Fundamentals of operation navy". In this work, the main credo of logistics was formulated, the essence of which was reduced to the requirement for the rational organization of transportation and transshipment of goods in the required quantity and quality to a given destination with minimal costs within a specified period.

In the late 1970s, Leningrad developed logistics technology, i.e., the operation of modes of transport according to the method of the transport hub, where their interaction was carried out. The concepts of domestic scientists were studied by Western experts. At present, they form the basis for the development of a unified European transport system of the EU countries. At the end of the 1980s, an attempt was made in the USSR to introduce the Rhythm intersectoral system, which operates on the principles of logistics. A unified intersectoral technology for sustainable transportation of iron ore raw materials combined train schedules, the work of stations, enterprises - senders and recipients of goods to organize the promotion of technological routes. A logistics chain of delivery was developed and implemented hard coal from Kuzbass to one of the CHPPs in Moscow.

Interest in the problems of logistics development in industrialized countries has historically been associated primarily with economic reasons. In conditions when the growth of production volumes and the expansion of intranational and global economic relations led to an increase in the costs of the sphere of circulation, the attention of entrepreneurs was concentrated on the search for new forms of optimization market activity and cost reduction in this area.

The development of logistics, in addition to the desire of firms to reduce the time and cost associated with the movement of goods, was determined by the following two factors:

• 1. complication of the system of market relations and increased requirements for quality characteristics distribution process;
• 2. creation of flexible production systems.

The transition from the seller's market to the buyer's market, accompanied by significant changes in the production strategy and distribution systems, had a significant impact on the development of logistics. If in the pre-transitional period the decision to release products preceded the development of a marketing policy (strategy), which actually meant “adjusting” the sales organization to production, then in the conditions of market glut, the imperative became the requirement to form production programs depending on the volume and structure of market demand.

Adapting to the interests of the clientele in a highly competitive environment, in turn, required manufacturers to adequately respond to these conditions, and the result was an increase in the quality of service, and above all, a reduction in lead time and unconditional adherence to the agreed delivery schedule. Thus, the time factor, along with the price and quality of products, began to determine the success of the enterprise in the modern market.

Further, it is necessary to point out the complication of implementation problems with a simultaneous increase in the requirements for the quality of the distribution process. This caused a similar reaction among manufacturing firms regarding their suppliers of raw materials and materials. As a result, a complex system of relations between various market entities was formed, which required the modification of existing models of organization in the field of supply and marketing. Optimization work in progress individual directions commodity circulation. Problems were solved regarding the optimal placement of warehouses, determining the optimal size of consignments of goods, optimal schemes for transportation routes, etc. As you know, the replacement of traditional conveyors by robots has led to significant savings in human labor and the creation of flexible production structures that have made the work of manufacturing small batches of products cost-effective. There was an opportunity for large enterprises rearrange your work mass production to small-scale production with minimal costs, small firms have gained chances to increase their flexibility and competitiveness. In turn, work on the principle of "small batches" led to corresponding changes in the system for providing production with material resources and marketing. finished products. In many cases, the supply of large volumes of raw materials, semi-finished products and final steel products is not only not economical, but simply not needed. In this regard, there was no need to have large storage capacities at enterprises and there was a need to transport goods in small batches, but on a tighter schedule. At the same time, increased transportation costs were largely covered by a reduction in storage costs.

In addition to the above factors that directly determined the development of logistics, it is necessary to note the factors that contributed to the creation of opportunities for this. These, probably, should first of all include: - the use of the theory of systems and trade-offs for solving economic problems; acceleration of scientific and technological progress in communications, the introduction of computers into the economic practice of firms latest generations used in the field of commodity circulation; unification of rules and regulations for the supply of goods to foreign economic activity, the elimination of various kinds of import and export restrictions, the standardization of the technical parameters of means of communication, rolling stock and handling facilities in countries that have intensive world economic relations with each other.

Undoubtedly, technological progress in communications and informatics played an important role in creating objective opportunities for the development of logistics. It allowed at a higher level to control all the main and auxiliary processes of commodity circulation. The use of modern means of information tracking of material flows contributes to the introduction of "paperless" technology. With such a system, on all sections of the route, at any time, you can get comprehensive information about the cargo and, on the basis of this, take management decisions. With the help of "computer logistics" throughout the entire service chain, an analysis of the company's activities is carried out and an assessment of its position in comparison with competitors is given. The very structure of the initial data system used for automatic control depends on the characteristics of each enterprise for which the logistics chain is compiled, indicating all the nodal points, input and output routes to them and the corresponding information flows. Information Systems also provide data on the market capacity and its saturation with goods.

Recognition of the importance of all types of information, its internal and external flows, control over them and their use has led in many corporations to a change in the forms of activity of units responsible for the functioning of information systems.

Around the same time, measures were taken to regulate the international movement of goods in order to simplify, minimize or eliminate factors that complicate the passage of goods flows, such as: differences in national product standards, long distances in the field of information transfer and transportation, an excessively overgrown volume of documentation for international transactions with goods and financial settlements on them, the presence of import quotas and export restrictions, very stringent requirements for packaging and labeling of goods, a variety of technical parameters Vehicle and means of communication, etc.

Remark 1

Until the middle of the 20th century, the term logistics in its modern sense was practically not used. At the same time, the doctrine of logistics has become widespread in the military sphere.

It was in this area that the key principles logistics science, which are relevant to this day.

Logistics of Leo VI the Wise

As a military discipline, logistics is mentioned as early as the beginning of the 10th century AD. Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise, who reigned from 886 to 912, defined logistics as the art of managing army movements and supplies.

In his military-theoretical work "Tactics of the Lion" the fundamental disciplines of military science are named:

• firstly, strategy is the science of planning military campaigns and the principles of military leadership,
• secondly, tactics - the science of battle formation, weapons and military movements.

Together with them, Leo VI the Wise reveals the essence of several auxiliary disciplines: hoplites (the science of weapons), architectonics (the construction of protective structures), military medicine and logistics - the science of supplying troops, its structure, norms of movement and standing time.

Logistics Antoine Henri Jomini

The founder of the science of logistics is A.A. Jomini. Baron Antoine-Henri Jomini (1779 - 1869) - French and Russian military theorist of Swiss origin, French brigadier general, Russian infantry general. From 1798 he was in military service in the Swiss army, from 1804 to 1812. in the French and since 1813 in the Russian armies.

Jomini divided the command and control system into three key aspects: strategy, tactics and logistics. He defined the latter as "planning, management, material, technical and food support for the troops, as well as determining the place of their deployment, building roads, fortifications." Thus, in his writings, Jomini argued that transportation is not the only area of ​​​​use of logistics, it is in charge of a wider range of issues, including planning, management and supply, as well as the construction of communications.

The essential fact is that Jomini not only gave as close as possible to her modern meaning interpretation of the concept of logistics, but also determined its place in the hierarchy of command and control.

His works had a significant impact on the development of military-theoretical thought and the principles of warfare until the beginning of the 20th century.

Modern military logistics

At present, along with the civilian sphere, logistics continues to be used in the military field. Today, logistics in the military sphere is understood as a set of material and technical resources necessary for the delivery of ammunition and people to the battlefield, as well as a set of measures to prepare and implement this process.

In Russian, as a synonym for military logistics, the term " logistic support”, which includes the organization and implementation of a set of logistics measures aimed at maintaining the armed forces in a combat-ready state, providing them with all types of material and technical resources necessary to fulfill their tasks.

The greatest development of modern military logistics was during the Second World War in the field of logistics of the US Army. The American military contingent that fought on the European continent, thanks to the use of logistics, was provided in a timely manner and in full with rear units from another continent. The coordinated interaction of front and rear supply bases, military industry and transport made it possible to effectively supply the army with weapons and food.

Remark 2

By the middle of the 20th century, the success of logistics in the military sphere created the prerequisites for its development in the economic practice of Western countries. It is military logistics that plays the leading role in the formation and development of the modern economic concept of logistics.

All this complex set of tasks for supporting combat operations in the modern army is entrusted to the rear support troops engaged in the purchase, supply, transportation and storage of military equipment and the management of the corresponding information flows. Military logistics in the short definition there is the art of directing the movement of troops and military equipment to the place of hostilities. The importance of logistics for military affairs can hardly be overestimated, because in modern warfare, each soldier participates in combat operations with seven people in the rear.

STRUCTURE OF MILITARY LOGISTICS

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is one of the largest modern armies: in the event of full mobilization, the IDF personnel reaches 800 thousand people, the Israeli Air Force is quantitatively inferior in the West only to the US Air Force, the IDF armored vehicles fleet surpasses the armored fleets of all European countries NATO. All levels of command and control in the IDF are densely permeated with modern means of telecommunications and computer systems.

It is clear that managing all these resources and providing them with everything necessary for reliable functioning in war conditions requires the use of the most modern methods and means of military logistics, the constant search for non-trivial solutions during the battle, when the situation changes continuously and unpredictably.

In the IDF, the solution of the tasks of military logistics is entrusted to the Logistics Department (UTL) and its subordinate services. The structure of the central government of the IDF UTO is included on a par with the main types of troops - the Ground Forces, Air force and the Navy and reports directly to the Chief of the General Staff. At the head of the UTO is an officer with the rank of lieutenant general.

The logistics department is subordinate to the head of the UTO, including food and clothing supply centers, transport department, fuel supply and storage department, ammunition supply and storage department, military facilities construction department, military property storage department, repair and restoration department. In addition, the Communications, Electronics and Computer Troops, the Military Medical Service, as well as the heads of the armaments and supply services with their separate headquarters are subordinate to the head of the UTO.

Subdivisions and units of logistic support are part of all military formations. The organizational structure of military logistics can be clearly seen in the example of the armored motorized infantry division of the IDF. The divisional logistics regiment includes three battalions: supply, repair and medical, as well as a number of separate companies (chemical protection, military police, etc.). This is a huge economy - the logistics regiment's vehicle fleet includes up to 700 trucks alone, transporting equipment and ammunition.

In armored motorized infantry brigades, weapons service officers are in charge of supply and repair. Directly in the units there are logistics support groups. In the battalion, supply and repair functions are performed by a headquarters company, which includes a repair platoon. She reports to the battalion weapons service officer, who is responsible for all weapons in the battalion: storage and delivery of ammunition, repair of all equipment - from small arms to tanks and armored personnel carriers.

The repair platoon is engaged in the repair and evacuation of damaged military equipment. The fighters of the repair platoon include inspectors - as a rule, warrant officers with many years of experience in servicing equipment and weapons. They check and diagnose damaged equipment and weapons. In their direction, repair teams are repairing the identified damage. In addition, each company also has its own repair team.

Combat units receive equipment, ammunition, spare parts, food from warehouses (depots), which differ in the degree of proximity to the front line. According to the geographical principle, warehouses are divided into warehouses of the first echelon, second, etc. Until recently, the export of goods from warehouses was carried out "from the bottom up", i.e. battalions and brigades took the necessary equipment from the warehouses with the help of their motor transport units.

The traffic volumes are very high. Thus, during the war in Lebanon, more than 400,000 portions of dry rations, 900,000 "hamgashiyets" (ready meals in foil-wrapped boxes), 300,000 bottles of mineral water, 80 tons of sausage, 60,000 packages were delivered through the rear depots in 30 days. yogurt, 60 thousand loaves of bread, 135 tons of fruit. Fuel was delivered at 420 thousand liters per day. More than 1,000 truck trips were carried out daily for the transport of food only. Mobile automatic laundries installed on trucks, mobile bakeries, field kitchens and canteens, cars with devices for recharging were occupied directly in the troops by serving military personnel mobile phones and many other special equipment. 6,000 buses were used to transport personnel, and 1,000 truck cranes were used to carry out loading and unloading operations.

In the course of hostilities, a serious problem is to ensure the safety of the movement of convoys with cargo from the rear depots to the location of military units on the front line. In the event of an offensive, the deployment of military units can change rapidly, which greatly complicates the delivery of goods to their destination and on time. Columns in combat conditions accompany convoys, which distracts significant forces from the conduct of hostilities. In infantry and tank brigades, deputy brigade commanders are responsible for escorting logistic support columns. Brigade reconnaissance units are usually used as a convoy. The movement of columns is controlled by specially appointed officers.

During the movement of logistics convoys, all necessary measures are taken to deliver goods on time. Thus, if the enemy manages to damage one or more trucks loaded with goods while moving along a narrow mountain road, then in order to avoid stopping the column, it is ordered to immediately drop the damaged vehicles from the roadbed.

HIGH TECHNOLOGIES IN MILITARY LOGISTICS

In the course of hostilities, huge material resources are in constant motion, so that the command is not always able to obtain accurate information about the presence or absence of the necessary resources. As one of the commanders of the logistics service of the IDF, Major General Yohanan Gur, during the hostilities, the IDF "did not have problems with the availability of military equipment, ammunition, food or fuel. The problem was that the command did not always receive information in a timely manner about where these goods are currently located and where there is an urgent need for them.

The IDF sees the solution to these problems in the complete automation of the processes of tracking the movement and registration of goods during military operations. The task is to obtain visual and timely information about the material and technical situation of each military unit, which includes data on whether it has the necessary stocks of ammunition, fuel, food, on the repair and restoration of military equipment, data on casualties and evacuation of wounded military personnel. Such data must be received in real time at all levels of command - from the battalion to the General Staff. Modern computer technology makes it possible to solve these challenging tasks. Automated systems control over the movement and registration of material flows are widely used in the IDF. The logistics units of the IDF have widely implemented electronic systems material flow control systems, known as total asset visibility (TAV) systems. TAV systems enable the operational personnel of logistics services to receive information in real time and with a high degree of accuracy about all the material resources used: the route of their movement, control and time parameters. Each element material resources- be it an aircraft, a ship, a tank, an artillery piece, a container, a truck, etc. - contains an electronic map. Electronic control gates are installed on the ways of moving material flows, which automatically read information from electronic maps of passing columns and convoys. The information obtained in this way is transmitted in real time via telecommunication channels to the headquarters various levels and military logistics centers.

All logistics services of the IDF have switched to new logistic systems for accounting and supply control, and military cargo is now tagged with RFID microchips for contactless RF identification. All containers and packaging materials for military cargo must be equipped with passive RFID microchips. Logistics services are expecting significant budget savings from the introduction of RFID technology, which has performed well in civilian supermarkets.

To handle such huge flows of information, IDF logistics services are widely implementing resource planning systems - Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP system As part of the IDF Logistics Directorate, it receives data from weapons and spare parts centers, fuel, ammunition and medical equipment and provides information for various workflows covering automatic depots, the medical troop queuing system, fuel distribution, etc.

NEW WAYS TO DEVELOP MILITARY LOGISTICS

Military logistics of the modern army, problem solving management of the movement of troops and military equipment to the place of hostilities requires huge capital investments and the availability of a large number of trained personnel at all levels of logistic support for the troops. Such costs are a heavy burden on the army budget and divert significant human resources from the direct solution of combat missions. Therefore, the IDF is constantly looking for ways to reduce the costly resources for logistics, while achieving a significant improvement in the quality of service to the troops.

The IDF Logistics Command considers it possible to reduce the cost of logistics technical support troops by 30-40, or even 50% through the use of various new methods of organizing all rear services. In the 1990s, the reform of logistics support services already resulted in savings of almost $500 million, made it possible to reduce the transport fleet by hundreds of heavy vehicles, and to abandon the use of thousands of soldiers and officers of rear units. In the coming years, it is planned to achieve another $1 billion in cost savings.

The essence of the reform of military logistics in the IDF lies in the all-round centralization of logistics services by reducing and merging numerous logistics services in the battalion-brigade links with the transfer of their functions to the division-military district level. As a result, numerous support personnel at the lower levels of command and control are being reduced. The IDF command worked out in depth the question of where the logistics center should be located: at the level of a brigade, division or military district.

As a result of the analysis of the results of numerous military exercises with the participation of rear services and the study of material flows in the troops, the IDF command decided to carry out a serious reform of the entire organizational structure military logistics.

The decision was made to gradually replace existing organization logistic support, when each military unit and formation has a complete set of logistic services belonging to it, to a new structural organization of military logistics. According to the new concept, the main resources of military logistics will be concentrated at the level of responsibility of military districts. This means a transition to territorial distribution and concentration of resources. That is, the division deployed to the deployment area now does not need to drag the entire convoy along with it in thousands of vehicles. The division will receive all the necessary material and technical support already at the place of its new deployment from the logistics services and resources of the military district.

In this case, the transferred division will act as a "client" of the territorial command and will not have to deal with the problems of delivery and storage of ammunition, fuel, military equipment and food. The division will receive all these "services" at the site of the new deployment. According to military experts, such a solution will significantly increase the mobility of troops by reducing their dependence on cumbersome and slow rear services.

The liquidation of the divisional logistic regiments mentioned above and the transfer of their functions to the district regiments will lead to a reduction in rear units by 1000-1500 servicemen, who will be used in combat units. The district logistics regiment will be able to "serve" more than one division. The resulting savings in financing will increase investments for the renewal of the transport fleet and the development of other means of logistics.

OUTSOURCING AS A MEANS OF COST REDUCTION

Another direction in the reform of the military logistics of the Israeli army was the trend towards the gradual introduction of outsourcing into the troops, i.e. the transfer into the hands of civilian contractors of a number of logistics functions that were previously performed by army logistics units.

The Merkava tank project is taken as an example, in which earlier the plants that produced tanks belonged to the army, and then were privatized. When choosing civil contractors, the cost of an hour of work of a serviceman and the cost of an hour of work of a civilian specialist were taken as a criterion. The analysis showed that the army receives significant savings in the transfer of work in the hands of a private contractor.

The successful experience of outsourcing in the production of tanks prompted the next step in the reform - the question arose of transferring ammunition depots and military equipment into the hands of civilian contractors with a view to their subsequent privatization.

To date, almost completely handed over to civilian contractors military building. The army, with its orders, creates competition between civilians. construction firms leading to falling prices. Control over the work performed by civilian contractors remains with the army. Inspection groups have been set up at the headquarters to check the quality of the work performed. At the same time, there is also a negative experience in the privatization of individual elements of military logistics. Thus, the privatization of military canteens has led to only partial success - in some cases, the level of service has decreased, and costs have increased. It turned out that the privatization of medical care for military personnel turned out to be ineffective - the cost of the services of civilian doctors turned out to be much higher than the services of the military medical service.

It carries a wider range of meanings than the term military logistics in its essence, since it is associated not only with the movement of materiel, financial and transport activities (falling under the definition of the term logistics), but includes such areas not related to logistics as medical support, repair and recovery services, public utilities and so on.

Logistic support includes the organization and implementation of logistics activities to maintain troops (forces) in a combat-ready state, providing them with all types of materiel and creating conditions for the fulfillment of the tasks assigned to them.

Such a supply system gave the Romans a huge advantage over the barbarians, who used only the food supplies taken by each of the houses, and the food that they found on the spot. So, when Julius Caesar set about conquering Belgium, he, with an army of 50-60 thousand soldiers, and with non-combatants - about 100 thousand people, settled down in a fortified camp on the northern bank of the Enm River, where all the Belgian tribes gathered against him (according to the testimony Caesar himself - 300 thousand people, according to Delbrück - 30-40 thousand). Caesar's army was supplied by water, and the Belgae soon began to feel hungry. They could not attack the Roman camp and dispersed to their villages. Then Caesar went on the offensive and conquered one tribe after another.

Middle Ages

“Perhaps it will seem surprising to some that they support themselves and their people on such a meager salary, and, moreover, as I said above, for such a long time. Therefore, I will briefly speak about their thrift and temperance. He who has six horses, and sometimes more, uses only one of them as a lifting or pack horse, on which he carries the necessities of life. This is first of all millet powder in a bag two or three spans long, then eight or ten pounds of salted pork; he also has salt in his bag, and if he is rich, mixed with pepper. In addition, everyone carries an ax, flint, kettles or a copper vat on the back of his belt, and if he accidentally gets to where there are no fruits, no garlic, no onions, no game, then he makes a fire, fills the vat with water, throws a full spoonful of millet into it, add salt and cook; contented with such food, both the master and the slaves live. However, if the master gets too hungry, he destroys all this himself, so that the slaves sometimes have an excellent opportunity to fast for two or three whole days. If the master desires a luxurious feast, then he adds a small piece of pork. I'm not talking about the nobility, but about people of average means. The leaders of the army and other military commanders from time to time invite others who are poorer to their place, and, having had a good meal, these latter then abstain from food, sometimes for two or three days. If they have fruits, garlic or onions, then they can easily do without everything else..

Directly during the campaigns, expeditions were organized to obtain food in enemy territory - "pens". In addition, during the "corrals" sometimes captives were captured with the aim of sending them to the estates.

new time

During World War II, air transport began to be used to supply troops. The Germans used the "air bridge" to supply the landing force on Crete and the encircled groups near Demyansk and Stalingrad. The Americans used a transcontinental "air bridge" along the Brazil-Nigeria-Sudan-Egypt line.

The most striking examples of military logistics in the recent past are the US operations in Iraq in 1991 (“Desert Storm”) and in 2003. An efficient supply chain played a major role in the success of these operations.

Logistic support in the USSR Armed Forces

By the beginning of the 1990s, logistics in the USSR Armed Forces was engaged in a department called Logistics of the USSR Armed Forces as part of the Ministry of Defense, headed by a chief with a general rank in the rank of deputy defense minister.

The organizational and staffing structures (specialized units) of logistic support were present at all levels from units to associations, starting from the battalion level.

For example, at the level of a motorized rifle / airborne / tank battalion or an artillery battalion, logistics tasks were solved by a material support platoon (depending on the state, there was another name - a supply platoon, abbreviated as VMO or Sun). VMO / Sun consisted of an automobile department, a department of economic services and a department Maintenance. There was also a battalion staff, where, in addition to the material support platoon, there was also a maintenance platoon (WTO).

The objectives of WMO/Sun were:

• Transportation to the combat formations of the battalion / division of everything necessary to complete the combat mission (ammunition, fuel, food, and so on.)
• Organization of field catering and service for military personnel (deployment of field kitchens and canteens, heating points for personnel, washing points for personnel, and so on.)
• Repair in the field of military equipment, automotive equipment and weapons.

At the company / battery level, all logistics issues were controlled and resolved by the foreman, the deputy company / battery commander for the technical part (technician (senior technician) of the company / battery) and the medical instructor.

Starting from the battalion / division level, there was an officer's full-time position, who was fully responsible for logistic support - the deputy battalion commander for logistics. Responsibility for technical support was borne by the deputy battalion commander for the technical part (for armaments).

Medical support was provided by the battalion's medical station (MP), which was

Hello! Today I wanted to talk about military logistics. Not about logistics as a science, what is taught at the Academy of the General Staff and so on, but at an extremely philistine, simple level. It is clear that the military knows what I am going to talk about now. Here we are talking about educational program, that is, about extremely simple, philistine ideas about war: what is logistics and what is staff work in the armed forces?

In ancient times, there was no need for headquarters, for staff specialists, that is, the commanders themselves could solve almost all the tasks that the army faced in the field of supply, in the field of force transfer, and so on. When an army requires only food and fodder for its supply (and sometimes even fodder was not required, because not all armies had enough cavalry), and the army numbers only a few thousand people, goes along one road and deploys on one field for battle – there are usually no big logistical problems. There is a convoy that they carry with them, there is a requisition of food from the local population, that is, forced weaning, and usually this was more or less enough.

Although even in ancient times, by skillful maneuvering, cutting communications, it was possible to bleed or even completely destroy the enemy army. Later, with the growth in the number of troops, with the increase in the number of supplies that the troops required, logistical problems seriously increased. And, in fact, by the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, they were already so great that not a single army could conduct military operations without a specially organized serious staff service.

The headquarters themselves, as permanent structures, became widespread during the Napoleonic wars, that is, when not just some officer assigned to the commander is doing the necessary work, but there is such a thing as a headquarters, staff officers. What, in fact, is the problem of providing logistics in military conditions? The first stage is quite voluminous, large-scale, but not too complicated. It is necessary when it is planned to move troops or when they are even in the same place:

- ensure the supply of everything necessary for each unit;
- when moving the unit, provide it with transport;
- calculate the path of passage;
- to calculate that the moving units do not block the delivery of the unit to other units, or their movement;
- provide all the necessary combat activities of this unit.

Again, the problem is not that it is necessary to provide, say, food and supplies for a particular regiment, but that they need to be provided all at the same time. And it's done all the time, it's done all the time. But when serious hostilities begin, the picture changes dramatically and becomes more complicated. In which direction? Let's imagine - there is an offensive of the army. Let's say even a relatively small one - 200-300 thousand people - and now each division is moving forward. It is necessary to calculate on what routes it will move, what lines it will reach, to what lines it is necessary to deliver supplies, because the division suffers losses, it expends ammunition, it expends food.

As long as the front advances linearly forward (in general, the easiest way to advance) - this does not cause big problems. But as soon as some kind of maneuver begins to be carried out, for example, a flank maneuver from flank opponents, then part of the troops begins to perform a maneuver called “shoulder approach”, that is, the troops begin to turn around at some center and the farther from this center, then the farther the flank is advanced, the greater the distance the troops travel.

Considering that roads are usually not laid in this way, that is, in such cunning circles in every right place, the supply line is accordingly switched from one road to another. Delivery in progress ammunition at different speeds to different parts, but this is not yet countering the enemy. Now we are adding a counter to the enemy.

And now some division manages to break through further than necessary, faster. Some divisions were slowed down, some used up more ammunition, some less. And immediately you have to literally "along the course of the play", that is, in the course of the battle, redistribute the transferred supplies, change the end points of the routes, which can be closer, and further, and in general in another place.

In addition, it is necessary to immediately redistribute the forces of units, change the schedules of their movement. For what? So that there are no gaps in the front, that is, so that the enemy, taking advantage of these gaps, does not get the opportunity to smash your army in parts; so that the troops can interact with each other. We still have a rather slow movement, with the speed of an infantry advance, called "covering the flank", and which is developing quite successfully.

The task becomes even more difficult when the enemy manages to seize the initiative and start pushing your troops back. In this case, the supply becomes even more difficult, the losses turn out to be unpredictable, and the front must somehow be stabilized in any sector. At the same time, any transfer of forces along the front also leads to the fact that supplies have to be transferred, the main transport forces have to be redirected in order to provide troops already in one direction and in another.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of maneuvering reserves, that is, when the troops advance, when their rears move behind them, when they provide supplies to the advancing unit, the roads are usually clogged, filled, and if you need to throw reserves into battle, then you need to clear the road for them in some way, that is, too ensure their timely advance.

By the way, logistical problems are most often the reason that seemingly obvious solutions (for “alternatives”, or just for ordinary people who have read one history book) turn out to be unacceptable, such as: we should have thrown another 20-30 divisions here, and we would they broke through here, would develop success, everything would be great. It is often impossible to deploy these 20-30 divisions to these areas. Why? There are no supply routes, there is no way to provide them at the expense of local resources.

The same applies to those who like to talk about permanent mobilization. Something like "we are constantly increasing the number of troops." Suppose some believe that permanent mobilization could help the Germans win the war in 1941-42. In general, I don’t like these supporters to play out a war for the sake of a German victory, but in this case What else is the problem? The German headquarters planned that there would be a fairly low level of losses, planned on the basis of the experience of military operations in Western Europe. The losses were much greater - there was not enough strength.

But, let's say the Germans arrange permanent mobilization, that is, they constantly form more and more new units and throw them to the front, and the losses turned out to be as planned. Where to put extra troops and what are extra troops? This means that marching battalions are formed, sent to the appropriate corps and divisions, and there the losses that were expected were not incurred. There is a surplus of personnel. There is not enough transport for him, there is not enough food for him - he is simply not needed there, he could go to the formation of other parts. But he went precisely as replenishments (one estimated replenishment) of precisely those units for which these losses were planned, but the losses were not incurred.

That is why it must be taken into account that all headquarters work in the conditions of predicting the events that will occur, that is, predicting losses, ammunition consumption, and so on. They have to urgently reshape everything when the forecasts do not come true. And that it is very easy to condemn the work of, say, staff officers, reading about the events that took place decades after them. If only because we know in retrospect what losses were incurred, which operation was successful and which failed. In hindsight, usually everyone is strong. There is even a good saying about this. So that I can always be as smart as my mother-in-law later».

The staff officers themselves are forced to plan everything not only in conditions where it is not known how it will end and how the operation will go, but also in the absence of complete and detailed data on enemy forces. What do we know about the enemy? We know the line of contact with the enemy troops and the data provided to us by intelligence. We know nothing more about the enemy - we can only speculate. We do not know what plans the enemy has, what he wants to do. Again, if intelligence did not open them. We do not know what intelligence has given us is truth and what is misinformation. We do not know exactly what forces the enemy has, in what direction - we can only assume and count on this.

Accordingly, we cannot clearly define: what will be the opposition of the enemy to our troops in one sector or another, that is, at what pace the enemy will advance, or how he will slow down our offensive. Therefore, in most cases, the plans of operations, namely in their headquarters execution, almost never work. There is, as it were, a detailed plan: what, how, to what line the advancing troops pass, but this plan is working basis for further action.

As soon as the operation itself begins, the enemy, with his opposition, inevitably introduces changes into our operation and we have to constantly revise our plans, change along the way:
- urgently transfer forces to other directions;
- urgently unload some routes in order to transfer troops along them and, say, supplies along other routes;
- to redistribute transport resources and, most importantly, to constantly face the fact that, due to enemy opposition, we are missing something somewhere.

At the same time, staff activity is very visible at the operational level and quite visible at the strategic level, but it is practically invisible at the tactical level. Hence, by the way, such a contemptuous attitude towards staff officers and, in general, towards staff officers on the part of officers in combat troops who are directly on the front line arose. From this came such a concept, for example, as a “staff rat”. At the same time, as I said, since the Napoleonic wars, an army without a headquarters is simply not combat-ready. At the same time, the more efficiently the headquarters worked, the higher the level of planning, the more complex maneuvers the army can carry out.

As a matter of fact, during the Second World War, this was precisely what caused the fact that at the beginning of this war only the German army managed to carry out serious maneuvers. Suppose not the French and not the British were not capable of deep enveloping maneuvers. And, in fact, our troops also had to learn this during the war. In the future, these brilliant operations of our army at the end of the war - against the Germans in 1944-45, the brilliant offensive in Manchuria - are to a large extent the merit of our extremely efficient staffs.

Here, in fact, about the role of headquarters logistics at the level of illiteracy eradication.