Introduction

As we stepped into the humid tent in rural Thailand, the United States Army First Corps (USA 1st Corps) Commanding General looked us over and said: “Give yourselves over to thought…be expansive.” With these words of encouragement, we began contemplating the formidable challenge of sustaining US forces across the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific, a region of paramount strategic importance. Encompassing two oceans and 38 nations across land and water, the Indo-Pacific Theater is the US military’s largest region and logistical challenge. Additionally, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) is a significant challenge in the region. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) maintains a robust capability consisting of ballistic missiles with a range to reach as far as Guam, 4000km (about the width of the United States) away. The PRC A2/AD threat rings extend over the South China Sea and several U.S. partners and allies’ territories, including Japan, The Philippines, and Thailand.

Our current capabilities in Southeast Asia need more synergy with emerging technologies like advanced manufacturing (AM), which can be a solution to rapid logistics and specialized operations for partner and allied forces. AM is a pioneering technology platform that includes portable, reliable, and scalable machinery of varying sizes, from desktop-friendly to entire shipping containers. This technology enables on-demand creation, development, and manufacturing of custom parts, tools, and weapons using materials like aluminum, copper, steel, and plastics to meet a wide range of requirements. Addressing the gap by leveraging on-demand manufacturing technology and enhancing collective capabilities will provide greater flexibility to create a robust logistical network to meet evolving needs. To achieve this, it’s crucial that we all work together, educating leaders, securing resources, and demonstrating proof-of-concept through exercises like Cobra Gold. Implementing the feedback collected through exercises can serve as a measurement of success, with implications for long-term viability in the region.

Background on Cobra Gold and the Pacific Exchange Program

Our participation in the inaugural Pacific Exchange Program (PEP), sponsored by the USA 1st Corps, provided a unique opportunity to assess challenges and opportunities around the Indo-Pacific logistics challenge. PEP is an initiative for active-duty service members pursuing accelerated education to observe and prepare the publication of unique topics ranging from security support initiatives to emerging technology supplementing contested logistics. We immersed ourselves in the USA 1st Corps and observed the 43rd Annual Cobra Gold exercise based in Thailand. As a multinational exercise, with partners and allied nations from Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea, Cobra Gold is also a joint service exercise where all U.S. Armed Forces are represented. As one of the longest-running international exercises within the Indo-Pacific Theater, it allows for further cooperation and partnering with foreign militaries. Our observations and engagements with Cobra Gold participants extend the visibility of task-organizing objectives for integrated assurance in the Pacific, proactively aligning joint and multinational responses to a dynamic infrastructure.

The Baseline of Conventional Logistics

Logistics in Thailand pose a myriad of technical, diplomatic, and legal challenges – all of which must be overcome to enable regional operations. For instance, the lack of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) means that U.S. personnel are subject to Thai jurisdiction and can be prosecuted through the Thai legal system or any law violations. This lack of legal protection makes relying on U.S. personnel to perform most logistical movements on the ground in Thailand impractical. Additionally, every item entering the country from the U.S. must pass through customs inspections and wait for a Thai vendor to move items to the designated location. This logistical process, which requires local vendors, encompasses more than 40 potential options of varying reliability based on availability, which can be critical when time is of the essence. While utilizing local vendors is a viable alternative, it also means increased coordination, which could lead to a longer acquisition timeline. The reduced efficiency in delivery and lower mission effectiveness while awaiting essential equipment forces can negatively impact U.S. and partner forces’ training requirements. First Corps exercise planners conveyed that a SOFA could provide more flexibility to participate directly in internal logistical movements through vehicles and other transports.

Assessment of the Challenges

Conventional logistics within the Pacific will require exploring and implementing innovative ways to provide capabilities throughout the region. The current logistical structure heavily relies upon the status of functioning supply chains. If these become contested or shut off, U.S. and partner forces will find themselves significantly inefficient and incapable of sustained operations. The greatest obstacle facing task prioritization of AM within an SOF footprint in the region is one of a conventional methodology.

The more significant assessment is that much of the infrastructure cannot support future technologies. For example, at the Thai Special Warfare School, leaders in our U.S. Army Special Operations Force retention element highlighted the technological advancements needed to enhance their mission capabilities. In Thailand, alternative energy, such as solar power, should be pursued to overcome the conventionality required to elevate and support digitized and deployable AM capabilities.

Unfortunately, the region’s landscape has resulted in competing interests on what is needed and how we should train our partner forces. Implementing AM to sustain and replenish a partnered campaign cannot mirror the last 60 years of US presence, which has been considered episodic, reactionary, and counterintuitive. The challenges of implementing advanced manufacturing in the Indo-Pacific region include the need for significant infrastructure upgrades, the development of local manufacturing capabilities, and the establishment of international standards for AM technologies. Overcoming these challenges will require a collaborative and innovative approach and a clear understanding of the region’s unique logistical and operational requirements.

Partnered Advanced Manufacturing as a Way Forward

Empowering our Thai partners with mobile, containerized advanced manufacturing capabilities opens up possibilities. It allows them to generate purpose-built solutions for vehicle part development, components, and ISR platforms, revolutionizing how we approach logistics in the Indo-Pacific. After synchronizing with 1st Corps leadership, a consistent message remained: We must all give ourselves over to thought, or, more precisely, 1st Corps members and observers must be willing to think outside conventional mindsets to improve success. Following this guidance, we identified that a digital and deployable manufacturing hub could reduce logistical constraints while building upon U.S. and Thai capabilities. The benefits of this approach are immense, including increased operational flexibility, reduced reliance on external supply chains, and the ability to respond rapidly to changing operational requirements. Focusing on containerization allows U.S. and Thai forces the flexibility to place equipment anywhere, whether in the jungle, on a dock, or on an airfield. Purposefully, this increases equipment configurations to meet the requirements for optimal operations. If additional containers are required to manufacture en mass, the capacity exists to meet that demand.

Conversely, if a more modest, discrete placement is preferred, that option also exists and can be expanded at a future time. Containerization also protects equipment from the elements and provides a rapid relocation capability via air or ground transport. We met with different U.S. organizations and members throughout Thailand; there was a discussion with the innovation SNCO for a select U.S. Army unit on the current use of AM techniques to develop deliberate drone solutions for their applications. This drone platform was developed entirely for advanced manufacturing capabilities, and it saw success in additional units adopting the platform along with the development method. While plans were made to apply this technology for Cobra Gold 2024, it was not utilized in this iteration of the exercise, not because of usefulness, but because of limitations on how funds could be spent locally for the necessary components to assemble the drones.

Conclusion

The distances of the Indo-Pacific Theater are vast, and when coupled with the threat of A2/AD capabilities, the U.S. military faces a critical logistical challenge. Reliance on traditional pre-existing infrastructure to support long supply chains creates risk for disruption, leaving forces vulnerable. AM is a solution that brings game-changing potential and requires embracing emerging technology. We can establish an increasingly agile and adaptable logistical network by deploying mobile, containerized AM with our allies and partners. AM technology empowers partner nations to manufacture equipment and essential parts on demand, reducing reliance on external vendors and lengthy supply chains. Overcoming challenges like funding restrictions, infrastructure limitations, and conventional mindsets is critical for success. Cobra Gold and exercises like it provide a valuable platform for testing and refining these concepts. By adopting innovative solutions and working together to implement AM, the U.S. and its allies and partners can develop a more resilient and robust logistical network, further strengthening collaboration and regional security.

About the Authors: Senior Master Sergeant Gessica E. Lillich is a graduate student attending the Naval Postgraduate School specializing in Irregular Warfare through the Department of Defense Analysis and serves as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Air Force Element of NPS, advising and overseeing professional development for 168 students. Sergeant Lillich has a diverse background, including being a Security Forces response team leader and MQ-9 Reaper Sensor Operator, accumulating over 2,000 combat and combat support flight hours in direct support of forces advancing national interests across CENTCOM areas of responsibility.

Technical Sergeant Jorge O. Brooks is a graduate student attending the Naval Postgraduate School, specializing in Applied Design for Innovation through the Department of Defense Analysis. Sergeant Brooks is a Special Missions Aviator who has deployed worldwide, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours across the AC-130H Spectre and C-146A Wolfhound aircraft in combat and combat support missions throughout AFRICOM, CENTCOM, INDOPACOM, and SOUTHCOM.