Overcoming Challenges in Defence Logistics

Overview

Vice Admiral Kyte will address the challenges facing defence logistics in an increasingly complex and dangerous global environment. He will emphasise the shift from uncontested to contested logistics, where supply chains are vulnerable at all levels. This includes resource scarcity, the need for a rapid reconfiguration between peacetime and wartime operations, cyber security threats, and the challenges of integrating diverse supply chain elements across an estimated 100 plus different platforms across the MoD.

This briefing will highlight the problems of underinvestment, legacy IT systems, and inflexible contracts, while proposing solutions such as digital modernisation, improved industry collaboration, and the need to value supportability and availability in procurement decisions. Vice Admiral Kyte will discuss the need to adopt innovative approaches to overcome these challenges and prepare for future conflicts should they arise.

Vice Admiral Kyte will set his briefing within the context of the new National Armaments Director (NAD) Group, highlighting the opportunities being part of the Group presents.

Speaker Biography

Vice Admiral Andy Kyte CB FCILT assumed his current role in September 2023. A career logistician, he has over 38 years’ service, including operational tours in Northern Ireland, the Arabian Gulf and Afghanistan. Previous appointments include Head of Defence Logistic Operations and command of the High Readiness Joint Force Logistic HQ. In 2018, he was appointed as the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Support Operations). Prior to assuming his current appointment, he led a study for the Chief of the Defence Staff, focused on increasing defence outputs.