ABSTRACT
This chapter explains why governments are privatizing military logistics, and what implications such a trend has for the supply of war into the future. It shows that logistics outsourcing is possibly the most representative and important aspect of the wider phenomenon of military outsourcing. The chapter defines logistics and underscores its relevance to foreign and defence policy. It introduces three key debates around military outsourcing–whether it saves money, how decision-makers are affected by contractors, and the problem of the 'revolving door'. The chapter outlines the long causal links that extend from high political objectives all the way down to who fulfils some of the most basic, menial tasks in the defence enterprise. It concludes that outsourcing is not only here to stay because its driving forces persist, but that it is likely to accelerate and lead to the integration of public and private workforces in the defence enterprise.
