Military Technology 06/2021

26 · MT 6/2021 THEME: Homeland Security Napoleon famously made his armies live off the local economies of con­ quered territory. Recent lessons from expeditionary warfare, however – particularly during the interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan – have proven the wisdom of keeping this thought at the forefront of the planner’s and commander’s collective minds. As well as ammunition, weapons and troops – the ‘reinforcements’ most commonly called for to assure the sustainability of deployed oper­ ations – the transport links and lines of communications (and retreat) into theatre are filled with air, sea and land consignments of consumables, ranging from medical supplies and footwear to ballistic protection equip­ ment and personal hygiene products. In terms of the hierarchy of needs, three items stand out above all others, however, as the most critical to ensure adequate supplies of: food, energy and water. During a visit to Kabul and Kandahar a decade ago, MilTech well re­ members the sight of countless pallets of food and water being unloaded Soldiers tend to read history more than most of us. Mainly, it can be safely said, because they seek constantly to understand where others succeeded – and failed – in similar endeavours to their own, though there are other motivations, too. Aphorisms, ‘lessons learned’ and military maxims are among the items that most frequently stick in the mind after such studies. Few, if any, have been more memorable – or, indeed, had greater relevance – during the last couple of decades than Napoleon’s (unoriginal) maxim that “An army marches on its stomach.” Most often, this is taken to mean that logistics form the vital under­ pinning of successful military operations – whether in the defence of Tobruk, the invasion of nineteenth century Russia or the ‘pacification’ of Iraq. ‘Do as I say’ operates in this instance, rather than ‘do as I do,’ since A simple, well-prepared, hot meal can do more for exhausted troops – and for the behind-the-scenes teams that support them – than any other intervention. That requires flexible, rugged and efficient equipment. (Photo: Kärcher Futuretech) Tim Mahon Water, Energy, Food – the Essentials of Cohesive Security Policies