Advance the real-time fusion and visualization of data for anything that can move (vehicles, aircraft, equipment, medical supplies), and develop analytics that support improved decision-making and more efficient movement of people, equipment and supplies on complex multimodal networks.

For the Armed Services, logistics win wars. For state and local governments, logistics keep cities running and are the line between order and disorder.  A government’s ability to respond to emergencies—whether it be a hurricane in Florida, a winter storm in Maryland, a flood in Vermont, or a fire in Maui—all require logistics.  Buses are needed to relocate the displaced.  Shelters need cots and bedding while simultaneously needing water and food need to be delivered, prepared, and served.  Heavy equipment needs to be found and moved into regions to clear debris.  Replacement parts are then required to repair and maintain this heavy equipment.  Medical supplies need to be restocked and delivered even when roads are impassable.  Building materials (tarp, wood, nails, etc.) are needed for repairs and recovery.

When logistics fail or are suboptimal–whether in war or peace-time, lives can be lost, unnecessary suffering occurs, millions of dollars are wasted, panic and distrust occur, and the public notice.  Even small improvements in logistics can dramatically improve a city, state, or federal government, or the Army’s ability to respond to domestic and international disasters and warfighting efforts while simultaneously reducing waste and protecting the environment.

It is for these reasons that the JRL is developing advanced mobility analytics and real-time support tools that will aid in deployments, disaster response, and planning.

This project identifies logistics bottlenecks and improves the flow of people, equipment, supplies, and materiel around the United States and the World.  These logistics improvements will occur through better situational awareness of supply routes (land, air, and sea), knowing where people and equipment are located and their availability to help, through analyzing historic deployments to understand what works and what doesn’t, through predicting the occurrence and severity of disruptive events, and through the analysis of supply chain bottlenecks.