Page 38 - ADT SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine

casualty rate becomes alarming. Using less fuel means less people  COLUMN
on the ground and fewer casualties. So, we know that moving away SOFTWARE HOLDS KEY TO SUCCESS
from fossil fuels could save money and lives. But what are the other The electrification of military assets will expand
operational benefits that can be seen both in the short and long the portfolio of equipment and inventory types.
term on the battlefield?
It will also further complicate support models
1. HYBRID SOLUTIONS IN THE SHORT TERM across military operations that are already very
complex. To cope with this change and ensure
all the benefits of electrification are realized,
Battery technology is not yet advanced enough to be able to con-
vert all army vehicles to electric. In the meantime, it is far more likely sufficient supply chain and asset management
we will see electrification of support and secondary systems as the software must be in place. Military forces need
initial military focus. Forward operating bases consume thousands enterprise asset management solutions with
of kWh of electricity a day. Use cases show by using a mixture of built-in adaptability for new assets and logistics
diesel-powered generators and “hybrid sites”, consisting of gener- principles—from procurement of the asset, right
ators, battery packs and solar panels, to power bases and specific through to frontline maintenance and support.
missions, military organizations can save thousands of gallons a With IFS Applications, military forces will see
week in fuel. Logistics personnel and engineers also save hours flexibility and transformational agility driven into
refueling and maintaining fuelling equipment vehicles—more time the process—the two fundamentals for electric
and money spent on more pressing matters. success and optimization. QinetiQ, a British mul-
tinational defense technology company, hangs
2. ELECTRIC FLEETS TO COME THIS DECADE the success of electric defense technology on
the supporting infrastructure. This doesn’t just
We are already seeing electric unmanned aerial, land and sea vehi- mean charging points, as the supply chain and
cles entering service. The bulk of this demand had been for air (UAVs) software which support military assets are also
and is now for military vehicles on land and sea. The U.S. Army has part of this infrastructure. As it stands, physi-
set out a ten-year goal for full electrification of its assets and equip- cal infrastructure and battery technology have
ment. They are promising two prototype tanks by 2022—change engineering challenges to overcome before full
is imminent. Electric and unmanned assets come with a range of electrification can be implemented. But asset
advantages. With a reduced logistic footprint and lighter, easier to management and supply chain software is
maintain vehicles that run on renewables it is in the best interest of ready to deliver the electrification secondary
a military organization to make the transition as soon as possible, support on the battlefield today, and the com-
as more electric assets enter the battlefield in the decade to come. plete electrification of operations in the future.
38 | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/ADT