In a December 15, 2016 memo entitled “Terms of Reference – Survivable Logistics”, the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics (AT&L) tasked the Defense Science Board (DSB) to conduct a study to “evaluate the implications of the current threats to the DOD Logistics enterprise, develop concepts to mitigate these threats, and make prioritized actionable recommendations for steps that will reduce the most significant vulnerabilities.”

The memo reiterates that “logistics is an area of critical importance to the Department of Defense (DoD)” and that “logistics operations have several potential challenges and vulnerabilities”, including:  lack of secure rear areas to provide logistics support, reliance on forward logistics support from contractors, threat of cyberattacks against key Logistics Information Systems, potential vulnerability of mobility assets, forwarded-deployed stock, ports, assembly areas and lines of communication, and limitations on interoperability and capability of joint logistics information systems.