DOD to Leverage Regional Sustainment Framework for Logistics in Theater Operations

The Department of Defense announced that a Regional Sustainment Framework has been created for a distributed logistics ecosystem on maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities in U.S. military theaters of operations.

William LaPlante, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment and a Wash100 awardee and a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, said the RSF will establish a distributed MRO network global in scope but aligned with regional partnerships. Collaboration with the regional industrial base and allies will support the RSF’s goal of enhancing military readiness, the DOD said Wednesday.

The other objectives of the framework are dominance in a contested logistics environment and enhancement of regional partnerships and alliances.

In February, Christopher Lowman, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment and also a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, shared at the annual WEST 2024 conference in San Diego that the DOD has identified key strategic Indo-Pacific partners for the RSF. According to Lowman, the U.S. military can no longer rely on partnering with host nations on sustainment just during crises and has to develop a regionally aligned MRO. 

During the Singapore Airshow in February, Rear Adm. Mark Melson, the commander of Logistics Group Western Pacific/Commander Task Force 73, also disclosed to media that the U.S. Navy’s Indo-Pacific logistic command is creating a stronger and more responsive logistic sustainment framework for theater operations support.