1. Combat Feeding Directorate R&DA 71st Annual Spring Meeting
Strategic Update
R&DA 71st Annual Spring Meeting
UNCLASSIFIED #U17-263

2. The global leader and technology provider for military field feeding
…to deep space
Providing an operationally relevant research and development base to deliver solutions for evolving field feeding challenges
from deep sea…

3. “Enhancing Support to US Military & Looking into the Future”
The future of military rations is…

4. What we don’t know for sure…
What policy and plans will affect field feeding? Where will future battles and wars be fought? When will the next major deployment be? How close will the enemy be to our technology?

5. Strategic Goals Provide Overmatch:
Nutritional optimization for improved performance
Nutritional interventions for recovery and resilience
Reduce Logistics Burden:
Decreased weight and cube
Decreased reliance on fuel
Operational Relevance:
Modularity tailored to mission requirements
Individualized nutrition where appropriate

6. GEN Milley Quotations*
“I can guarantee you the days of Victory Base, the days of Bagram or other static locations for comfort or command and control will not exist on a future battlefield” “We must not send [Warfighters] into harm’s way with yesterday’s equipment” “Future wars are almost certainly going to be fought mostly in cities” “If you stay in one place for longer than two or three hours, you’ll be dead” “Water, chow, ammo, fuel, maintenance, and medical support will be about all that we should plan for”
* From GEN Milley, Chief of Staff of the Army, speech at Association of the US Army Annual Meeting, 4 Oct 16

7. Strategic Guidance Based on Current DoD Leadership
Future Wars
Probably be fought in cities
Formations will be highly mobile
Will not have large basecamp infrastructure
Emphasize
Squads/small units
Mobility
Rapid or Just-in-time resupply
Decreased reliance on FOBS and field kitchens
Increased reliance on sensors
On-site Soldier/small unit water production and purification

8. Delivery of Capabilities
Skill Sets
Core Competencies
Capabilities
Mechanical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Aerospace Engineering
Biochemistry
Epidemiology
Biomedical Engineering
Nutrition
Psychology
Chemistry
Food Science
Marine Science
Economics
Culinary Arts
Business Management
Marine Biology
Mathematics
Physical Science
Plastics Engineering
Packaging Science
Food Service Equipment Engineering
Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Biochemistry
Food Protection, Defense and Microbiology
Food Engineering, Preservation & Stabilization
Food Packaging and Polymer Science
Nutritional interventions to improve Soldier performance & recovery
Modular & efficient field kitchens with reduced fuel & water
Operationally tailored expeditionary rations with reduced weight & cube

9. Near-Mid-Far Term Combat Feeding
Vision: Operationally Relevant Sustainment that Maintains Overmatch with Reduced Logistics Burden
Key Technologies
Nutritional Biochemistry
Food Engineering and Stabilization
Human Gut Microbiome
Genetic Manipulation of Microorganisms
Advanced Thermodynamics 
DISCOVERY
10-30 years
INNOVATION
Basic and Early Applied Research
6-15 years
4-8 years
Applied Research
Advanced Development Research
Autonomous Field Feeding Systems
Synthetic Food Sources
Self-Sustaining Remote Feeding
Soldier Tailored 3-D Printed foods
Zero Waste Field Feeding Systems
Unconventional Food Sources (Insects, Algae, Yeast, etc.)
Nutritional Interventions for Performance Optimization
Low Global Warming Potential Refrigeration Systems
TRANSITION
2-4 Years
Experimental
Prototyping
Nutrient Density for Reduced Load
Fuel & Water Reduction
1-2 Years
Quick Reaction
Regionally Aligned Ration Modules
Time
Frame
Mid
Near
Far
Priorities
Near-term: Expeditionary Feeding
Mid-term: Improved Soldier Performance
Far-term: Autonomous Field Feeding

10. What we don’t want to do…..

11. …EMPOWERING, UNBURDENING, AND PROTECTING our Warfighters…To OUTPERFORM and OUTLAST any adversary, anytime, anywhere…

12. Back-Up Slides – Maneuver Force Modernization Strategy

13. Maneuver Force Modernization Strategy (draft as of 20 Apr 17)
Samples of Operational and Organizational Concept Assumptions
An increase of robotic and autonomous systems will have implications for the application of sustainment, lethality, mobility, protection, and reconnaissance tasks
Capable of moving formations rapidly to control tempo and momentum of maneuver
Capable of conducting personnel recovery of isolated personnel
Sustainment capabilities necessary to conduct cross-domain maneuver while dispersed at extended distances, and for ample duration
Operate semi-independently and sustain operations for up to seven days
Operate with joint, inter-organizational, and multinational partners
Demand on the combat support structure is reduced. (e.g. less Personnel, compact equipment, effective reach back for mission analytics, more reliable size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C) efficient platforms)
Brigades must be designed to reduce by 50% the tactical logistics burden
Reduce Soldier loads to increase mobility, without sacrificing acceptable protection and lethality needed to defeat the enemy in the close fight

14. Maneuver Force Modernization Strategy (draft as of 20 Apr 17)
MFMS Components
Doctrine Development: As concepts are validated – through experimentation, assessment, and refinement – they are entered into doctrinal manuals.
Critical Science & Technology: A broad goal of science and technology is to enable the maneuver force to be twice as good at half the logistics cost.
Power Generation and Management: Addresses the requirement to match a formation’s demand in order to enable semi-independent operations up to seven days without resupply. The intent is to increase the power density at the system level while reducing the sustainment burden at the formation level.
Maneuver Robotic and Autonomous Systems. This includes any and all technologies designed to address reducing the cognitive and physical burdens on Soldiers, both mounted and dismounted.