In today’s rapidly changing strategic landscape, military forces must be prepared to counter threats in increasingly diverse and challenging environments, one of the most extreme being the Arctic. The Arctic’s vast, cold expanses present unique hurdles that demand strategic focus and adaptability. Leaders across the Army are now tasked with equipping and positioning our forces not only to survive in this environment but to operate effectively in it.
This article explores how sustainment warfighting systems are evolving to meet the complexities of Arctic operations. The Arctic serves as a vital case study for why we need convergent, innovative systems to support and sustain multidomain operations (MDO) in the most challenging environments.
The Current State of Sustainment Warfighting Systems
The Arctic is unlike any other operational environment, introducing unprecedented challenges for sustainment. The frigid temperatures, unpredictable weather, and limited infrastructure mean that traditional sustainment systems often fall short of meeting these unique demands. Equipment readiness becomes even more crucial because cold exposure affects everything from fuel and lubricants to the internal components of machinery. These conditions push Soldiers to their physical and mental limits.
The 2021 Headquarters, Department of the Army, document Regaining Arctic Dominance: The U.S. Army in the Arctic acknowledges these challenges and emphasizes the Army’s need for Arctic-specific doctrine and more robust equipment. It highlights the current limitations of water distribution units such as the Hippo water tank rack and the Camel II unit water pod system, which often freeze at temperatures below -25 F. This creates real risks because troops must have adequate water for hydration and meal heating. Addressing these gaps is essential for building a system that functions reliably in subzero conditions.
Drivers of Transformation in Sustainment Systems
As the Army moves toward MDO, integrating and adapting sustainment systems for extreme environments like the Arctic becomes increasingly vital. Predictive logistics, which focuses on using data to anticipate needs, is now a key driver of this transformation. By embracing a data-centric culture, the Army can manage the unique challenges of contested logistics environments more effectively.
Predictive logistics aims to empower sustainment leaders with tools and training to make real-time, data-driven decisions. Through the development of skilled data leaders and the modernization of data capabilities, the Army is equipping its personnel to handle logistical challenges in the Arctic with greater flexibility and foresight. This approach is part of a broader effort to ensure that troops have what they need, when and where they need it.
Convergence Strategies for Sustainment Systems
To support the complex demands of the Arctic, the Army’s sustainment systems must work as one cohesive unit. Converging physical logistics and digital platforms helps to minimize disruptions, allowing for real-time adjustments. For example, by integrating digital logistics platforms, the Army can streamline coordination between supply hubs, ensuring resources reach Soldiers in a timely manner.
The Regaining Arctic Dominance strategy also highlights the importance of unified command structures in the Arctic. Quick decision making and adaptive logistics are critical when resources are stretched thin and personnel face harsh environmental limits. In these situations, unified command enables efficient resource allocation and strong support structures, regardless of the region’s logistical constraints.
Key Technologies Enabling Transformation
Technology is the backbone of the Army’s evolving approach to Arctic sustainment. Predictive logistics allows sustainment teams to proactively address needs. By predicting equipment demands, fuel requirements, and other logistical needs, sustainment personnel stay a step ahead, avoiding breakdowns and shortages.
Beyond predictive logistics, artificial intelligence and machine learning also provide valuable tools for identifying patterns in data. For instance, during Arctic exercises, these technologies have helped prevent cold-related equipment failures.
In addition, autonomous vehicles and drones offer critical support in remote Arctic terrain, where regular roads and transport routes may be inaccessible. These unmanned systems can deliver supplies rapidly and safely in the Arctic. Meanwhile, advanced manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, enable troops to produce equipment parts onsite. This on-demand production capability bypasses the limitations of long supply chains and ensures Soldiers have what they need to keep equipment functional.
Case Studies and Lessons Learned: Arctic Warrior Exercise
The Arctic Warrior exercise provides insights into the challenges of Arctic sustainment. Observations from the exercise highlighted specific issues:
- Vehicle maintenance: Vehicles in the Arctic require constant engine-block heating, battery warming, and specialized lubricants. During Arctic Warrior, units frequently kept engines running continuously to ensure operational readiness, creating significant heat signatures visible from long distances. Cold temperatures froze the central tire inflation system, and standard mud tires provided inadequate traction, illustrating the need for studded tires and customized chains.
- Personnel safety and personal protective equipment (PPE): Personnel who work in extreme cold, particularly fuel handlers, need Arctic-specific PPE. During Arctic Warrior, a Soldier sustained cold weather injuries after being exposed to fuel, demonstrating the need for specialized clothing suited to fuel operations in sub-zero temperatures.
Lessons learned at Arctic Warrior and similar exercises offer significant lessons:
- Develop Arctic doctrine: Arctic-specific doctrine, techniques, and procedures must be established. This includes equipment standards, Soldier training, and safety protocols such as minimum temperatures for airborne operations.
- Improve training: Consistent training in extreme cold is essential to equip personnel with the skills to anticipate and manage cold-related injuries and equipment issues. Frequent exposure to Arctic conditions enables Soldiers to adapt and enhances unit readiness.
Deployable Resilient Installation Water Purification and Treatment System Demonstration in Arctic Edge Exercise in Alaska
Existing alternative water treatment technologies, necessary when water supply infrastructure is contaminated through a natural or man-made disaster, are too expensive and too heavy for easy deployment. New Army initiatives in Arctic regions include improving infrastructure resilience. This includes renewing Arctic and sub-Arctic dominance. When natural and man-made disasters occur, there is a need for small, portable water treatment system technology that can be quickly deployed for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing, and medical triage until water supply infrastructure is restored, including in Arctic conditions.
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC’s) Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), and Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) successfully demonstrated the Deployable Resilient Installation Water Purification and Treatment System (DRIPS) at the CERL facility outside Fairbanks, Alaska. The primary objective was to showcase its efficacy in extreme cold weather environments.
The demonstration team consisted of personnel from the ERDC GRL, WaterStep, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, the Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, and the Wide-Area and Infrastructure Decontamination Branch. The team showcased DRIPS to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District on Civil Works, the Department of Corrections, and representatives from Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Integrating DRIPS into a modular force-sustainer structural system at the polar test facility and coordinating with the Permafrost Tunnel Research Facility allowed for a comprehensive validation of its performance, costs, and benefits. This included assessing water and bleach production (using patented electro chlorination) and digitized water quality reporting against federal and military regulatory standards during the demonstration event.
DRIPS will enhance the Army’s (and by extension, DoD’s) strategic posture by proactively addressing environmental factors that impact Army installations. It will also bolster installation resilience across combatant command areas of responsibility in polar regions for operational water needs. This effort underscores a commitment to long-term capacity building and improved environmental understanding, facilitated by common operating picture systems, fusion centers, and collaborative efforts.
The Path Forward for Army Sustainment
Looking ahead, the Army’s ability to sustain operations in the Arctic will depend on building resilient, adaptable systems. Flexible supply networks and robust training programs help ensure that Soldiers remain ready, even in harsh conditions.
As suggested in the Regaining Arctic Dominance strategy, joint training and partnerships with allies familiar with Arctic operations are key in strengthening preparedness, building interoperability, and fostering a unified approach to sustainment operations in one of the world’s harshest environments. This approach provides Soldiers with the resources, knowledge, and skills they need to excel.
Conclusion
As sustainment systems transform to meet the needs of modern warfare, environments like the Arctic both test and inspire innovation. The Regaining Arctic Dominance strategy underscores the Army’s commitment to operational readiness through advanced technology, integrated command, and allied cooperation. With continued innovation and investment, the Army can build sustainment systems ready to support diverse missions and ensure operational superiority in any theater.
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CSM Eduardo I. Carranza serves in the 4-410 Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Cavalry Brigade, at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He previously served as detachment sergeant major for 953rd Theater Petroleum Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and detachment sergeant major, Petroleum and Water Department, Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. He has a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies from the University of Texas at El Paso.
SFC Jimmie A. Gilchrist currently serves as the Logistics Movement NCO for I Corps Forward/Bilateral Coordination Element U.S. Army Pacific Command Forward at Camp Zama, Japan. He previously served as the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security operations sergeant for U.S. Army Garrison Japan. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University.
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This article was published in the spring 2025 issue of Army Sustainment.
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