فصلنامه راهبرد دفاعی
پیاپی 26 (پاییز 1388)

At the age of knowledge، the speed of getting access the knowledge and applying it can determine the failure or victory of organizations. Knowledge is comprehensible and worthy information، which is shaped and institutionalized under the shadow of experience and individual awareness، and leads to problem solution. Logistic activity is permanent and can be found in all aspects of logistic projects، acquisitioning and supporting، from the beginning to the end. Using knowledge management in logistics process and operation increases these effects in operation productivity. So، along with studying the development of new weaponry systems and their functional necessities، active، flexible، solid and fast logistic support which are the main characteristics of a logistic system، should be considered by applying knowledge management.

Logistics is one of the major sub-systems of a military organization and will be comprehensible beside operational/mission oriented and command/managerial sub-systems. Logistics is like a bridge، which connects the capability of economic resources to military forces of a country; logistic processes are the context in which this connection is shaped. Logistics processes can be provided in different categories according to the needs of consuming units. Given to the importance of the military logistics mission، recognizing its environmental and structural characteristics is one of the most important actions which military logistics planners and experts are concerned. In this article، with a systemic view while paying attention to concepts، processes and characteristics of military logistics، a special group of them is implied.

The years after the Cold War، fundamental changes in strategic zones were happened. These changes can be interpreted on the basis of geopolitical zones disintegration. In this period، two players may cooperate each other in one of geopolitical environments (such as Asian Southwest)، but they conflict in other geopolitical spaces. In these situations، some more various indicators in relation with logistics mechanisms could be considered; because logistics can be understood as a comprehensive system، which is the supplier of strategic and managerial necessities of action in crisis zones. Logistics in the integrated spaces (such as geopolitical zone of NATO treaty and geopolitical zone of Warsaw treaty) is based on systematic management while in the age of disintegrated geopolitical zones it is based on «asymmetric management». In this article، the author tried to explain logistics chain، specifically the relation between logistics and strategy، while examining the importance and function of logistics in strategic processes.

Revolution in military affaires has resulted in next revolutionary changes specifically in logistics. This issue is mostly indebted to technological improvements، discovering new military methods for war leadership، and increasing role of military forces’ functions. But did these changes pass an evolutionary course or emerge as a revolutionary event? If “revolution in military logistics” is part of “revolution in military affaires” or is independent from it? Which countries could realize revolution in military logistics and how much did this revolution change country’s military capability? And eventually، what are the lessons taken from this change? Along with examining the concept of logistics and its changes during the time and explaining the challenges it is encountered، this article tries to talk about its role and effect in increasing operational power of countries such as United States، Russia، Britain، France and China with some examples. Finally، with examining essential lessons and new findings، the results of the debates will be discussed.

Examining the history of logistics shows that organizing a military force and deploying it in war-fields is depended on technological developments. In 21 century، some aspects of revolution in communication and information emerged which affected countries'' military capabilities and strategic processes. Implications of such changes can be perceived in the structure of regional wars and logistic organization of force deployment. In post-modern wars، organizing logistics، spatial planning of human resources and instrumental-operational capabilities are doing in such ways that result in the defeat of the enemy. So، logistics in post-modern wars has an anti-force، anti-base and flexible entity.

Development in achieving new technologies during the last half century، caused getting access to the space and use this environment to facilitate and accelerate exploiting earth''s resources، decreasing damages from unexpected incidents، planning، environmental protection، expanding communication and information technologies and the speed their interchange and leading and controlling military and espionage operations in the space. The importance of the space is so clear that it became one of the most important aspects in countries'' national security and most countries especially that superpower which has spend so much investments in the space، thought the way they can protect and improve their presence in the space. This article is part of extensive research about «the role of space technology and its effect on Islamic republic of Iran''s national security» which lasted more than a year and was based on library research، field study، and interviewing with the pioneers of this field. The research concludes that regarding to the imaginable patterns for the structure of the future world، space technology is considered as one of the most important factors in country''s national security، and paying attention to it causes developing and reinforcing country''s industrial، scientific and research infrastructures، enhancing missile power and finally strengthening deterrence power and sustainable development.

Achieving many goals such as development depends on security. In other hand، security can be achieved in case of sustainable development; so these two categories have a mutual relation. In this article، which is a project report، the author firstly expresses the current approaches in examining the relation between security and development and the research methodology and then explains the concepts of development and security and their indicators. Then the intertwinedness and overlapping of these two concepts in I. R. Iran is examined. The author finishes the article with the statement that national security shouldn’t be ignored in development planning and policymaking. In other words، every development program should be consisting of strategic planning of national security.