Page 30 - Federal Computer Week, January/February 2019

RUGGED MOBILE DEVICES
Rugged, Mobile Devices Support Military’s Global Strategy
Services look to agile logistics for deployments.
The U.S. military continues to develop its quick-strike potential, seeking greater capacity to project force globally, quickly and on several fronts simultaneously. Support services are integral to that effort, particularly
in the area of logistics and asset maintenance. In its 2018
National Defense Strategy,
the Department of Defense identified the development of “resilient and agile logistics”
among its key modernization
goals.
The emphasis on global quick-strike capacity invigorates
the military’s focus on the use
of mobile technology to speed
supply transactions and updates.
To meet force projection goals, workers no longer have time
to collect logistics data in the field and plug it into a network system using desktop computers at a central office. Using tablets or handhelds, they are able to collect and input data remotely. In many environments, field data collection can benefit from the use of rugged devices.
Mobile solutions also enable agile logistics, a term that has many meanings, according to Scott
Heckman, national sales manager, U.S. Army, Panasonic Mobility Solutions. Agile can refer to a scenario in which there are multiple supply lines, for example, yet the term also suggests a real-time view of inventory and every material the military needs for its mission.
to rapidly upgrade maintenance and supply buildings. The goal is enabling workers equipped with mobile devices to remotely access multiple logistics systems and order parts on-site.
Elsewhere, the Air Force wants to employ a cloud environment to support users of tablets and handhelds. Mobile
IT already supports critical functions such as flight-line maintenance. Modernizing the architecture encompasses more than 350 logistics IT systems with an average age of 18 years. There are also plans to build
a mobile app that will allow service members to connect directly with the integrated maintenance data system and track ongoing work in real time.
Among the military services, the Army’s push to adopt mobile
IT solutions stands out. Frontline troops have used the technology for years to provide decision makers
with better situational awareness. Technicians have also used the technology to service and repair equipment, embracing next-generation technology. Augmented reality for example, brings together real-world machines and a virtual environment
to assist in repairs and enable
“The only way to be agile in that way is to have systems where you scan something and have that information immediately available,” he said. “If
you are talking about being in-theatre overseas, rugged mobile IT is really the only way to reliably accomplish that.”
The Marine Corps, often first to deploy in a military response, has made mobile-friendly logistics a goal, adding mobile infrastructure capacity
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