Logistics centre supplying UK military celebrates fifth anniversary

The logistics centre that ensures UK Defence receives all of its kit supplies – from food to boots, exactly when and where it needs to be, at the right price – has today celebrated its fifth anniversary of operations.

The £83 million logistics centre at MOD Donnington – the size of ten football pitches – is run by Team Leidos as a hub for the storage and distribution of UK Defence’s inventory.

Since becoming operational, more than £1 billion worth of kit has passed through the centre, including clothing, medicines and many other items needed on the front line. Since its setup, the centre has transformed the defence supply chain through major innovations to logistics processes.

Central to that innovation has been the introduction of the Leidos Support Chain Integration Platform. The platform enables the delivery, inventory management, storage, transport management, demand placement and supply chain orchestration of military kit in a way that reduces costs and improves distribution accuracy.

The centre has also implemented robotic automation into its processes, speeding-up processes carried out at the centre every day. The DFC also plays a crucial role in getting medicines to personnel through the creation of an industrial-sized fridge specifically for medicines.

The expertise of the centre has also been used to support wider civil society supply chain challenges. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 6,800 ventilators were distributed to help those that needed it most, thanks to the DFC. Developments to the Logistics Commodities Services Transformation (LCST) programme also enabled UK military personnel to deliver Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and vaccines to hospitals, care homes and clinics across the UK.

Through these innovations, the 21st century facility has redefined how the private sector can support UK Defence in distributing equipment to military personnel so they’re able to carry out their critical duties, all while delivering significant value for money to the taxpayer.

“The Defence Fulfilment Centre has truly helped modernise Defence’s supply chain, enabling more efficient and effective support to the whole of Defence,” said Brigadier Anna Luedicke, Head of the Commissioning and Managing Organisation in DE&S. “Its role during the Covid-19 pandemic, and right now as we support our troops in Eastern Europe, is notable.”