Flexibility in operational-level logistics

Good practice in Operational Logistics is both critical and crucial in winning war, yet this important subject matter has seldom been discussed in scholarly Operations Research publications. In particular, the issue of flexibility with regard to operational logistics systems has never been analyzed in a formal manner. Flexibility is a very important attribute of a logistics system which is supposed to support and sustain combat operations in a battlefield environment that is characterized by friction, uncertainty and even chaos. To accomplish its mission successfully, the logistics system must be capable to respond effectively and efficiently to changing conditions and circumstances at the theater of operations, that is, it must be flexible. In this article an attempt is made to discuss and formalize the concept of flexibility within the context of operational logistics.