Time for Congress to Fund AI for U.S. Military Logistics to Counter China
How does the old saying go – if you are not winning, you are losing. Right now, the United States military is losing to China in the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) for military applications – specifically logistics.
As a conservative, I want to make sure spending is targeted and necessary and AI for defense logistics qualifies as a funding priority within the defense budget. Although Congress has appropriated significant funds for military AI applications in the past, the focus and resources have been largely directed to other elements of warfighting, such as intelligence, surveillance, and weapons systems – not logistics. AI for defense logistics has been under-prioritized. In contrast, the Chinese military has invested heavily in AI for military logistics. The Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) noted in a report from August 2023 that 16% of AI contracts awarded by the Chinese military targeted logistics applications compared to 6% for the U.S.
Additionally, according to Defense One in July 2023, China has allocated 1%-2% of its military budget to AI investments versus 0.1%-0.2% by the U.S. military. By applying these percentages to the respective 2024 defense budgets, we can infer that China’s investment in AI for defense logistics ranges between $370 million and $739 million (assuming a defense budget of $231 billion), while the U.S. investment spans $53 million to $106 million (assuming a defense budget of $886 billion). Though these statistics feature some caveats, using them provides insight into the stark differences in AI investments for defense logistics, signaling a strategic advantage that the U.S. cannot afford to ignore.
We cannot let this imbalance continue. Of the $1.8 billion requested by the Pentagon for AI in FY2025, it is imperative that we allocate considerable funds for AI military logistics. The Chinese military's substantial investment in and adept use of AI to simulate and strategize for future conflicts provides them with a strategic advantage over American military efforts. This calls for a concerted effort from Congress to significantly increase investment in AI for defense logistics within this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Military logistics is the backbone of successful military operations, enabling the intricate coordination of exercises and operations across diverse terrains, involving various military hardware and personnel. National Defense reported on March 11, 2024, how the Pentagon is harnessing data for predictive logistics planning and reported, “‘Logistics wins wars’ is an age-old adage, but its application has evolved from logbooks and spreadsheets to data streams and analytics. The Defense Department now wants to harness these new practices to predict the future.” The report quoted Christopher Lowman, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, who argued, “It’s all about regenerating readiness and pushing the capability to satisfy demand closer to the point of need within the theaters of operation” and that predictive sustainment means “not only knowing when, where and how much a unit is using something like ammo [or] water or maybe certain parts, it also means knowing precisely where and when, and how much of a commodity that you will need in the future. And the key is getting out in front.” That is exactly why AI needs to be harnessed for military logistics.
The arguments are simple. Logistics is critical to the success of military operations; however, logistics is often sidelined or seen as a guaranteed capability, leaving it absent from discussions around the military’s needs. As the battlefield evolves and technology advances rapidly, so too must logistics.
Rapid adoption of AI for military logistics will give Chinese forces a speed advantage to get to places armed and ready to fight. China’s adoption of AI makes an already challenging INDOPACOM region even more challenging – many traditional strategies, such as iron mountains of inventory, will be a liability on the modern battlefield because they are an attractive enemy target and are difficult to move quickly.
With U.S.-China tensions at an all-time high, many U.S. officials believe the risk of war is rising. President Xi Jinping has made his intentions clear: to take Taiwan by 2027. Xi has given internal speeches preparing the Chinese military for war and the Chinese people for extreme scenarios. With the time it takes to adequately fund and integrate new technology in the Department of Defense, the technology we go to war with in 2027 is the technology we institute by 2025.
Our nation is falling behind near-peer adversaries and must act now to safeguard national security, achieve mission success, and ensure combat superiority. We must modernize our logistics enterprise. A modern battlefield calls for agile, responsive, resilient logistics, and this will be done with AI. The resources being put against AI for defense logistics must reflect the critical role it plays in the success of military operations.
This is not a partisan issue and AI for defense logistics should not be controversial. There may be ethics concerns about other AI applications that will be debated in Congress, but none apply to AI for defense logistics. Congress must recognize the urgency of this need and approve a larger budget for AI-focused logistics initiatives, ensuring the U.S. remains competitive and secure in an ever-evolving global landscape.
Brian Darling is former Counsel for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
