The Longest Supply Chain Ever Known

Equipment Logistics of A Planetary Invasion

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Abstract: Supply chains are an important part of any long distance operation, and would almost certainly be utilized by any HE attempting to seize control of Earth. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential supply chains an HE species could use to supply an invasion or takeover through either technological, psycho-morphotical, or forceful means.

Introduction: While written primarily for use in Project Heimdall, this paper will also discuss the usage of more theoretical forms of travel such as immediate teleportation and FTL Travel. The reasoning for this is simple: any invasion other than one designed for total annihilation would be completely impractical at sub-light speeds. These kinds of invasions are also the most likely to need a true supply chain, as any species who are so advanced as to constitute an HE would have weapons technology that would not require a resupply.

Background: There are three main styles of supply chains used in offensive operations, and each one has their own distinct challenges. The first style is looting, in which an army acquires all their resources through the places they attack. This style is generally very rare due to the reliance on locations having everything an army needs to restock their operations, leaving them stranded if anything is missing. The second style is the pack style supply operation, where everything is carried with the force, which allows them to be completely self-sufficient. This has the downside of causing large baggage trains, which slow down armies significantly. The most common form involves utilizing a “rear area” where munitions are stored en masse and can be ferried to troops much more easily.

Looting Supply Chains: This is the biggest threat to humanity due to the simple fact that there is nothing to disrupt. When facing an army using a looting and pillaging strategy there is nothing that can be attacked to cripple a force other than said force. It can also be safely assumed that any HE using looting tactics has no regard for human life, resulting in a very serious threat. However, it is worth noting that this kind of chain is very unlikely to be seen due to its impracticality in most situations. It is improbable that an HE that grew in a completely separate environment from that of earth would require the exact resources that can be found in reasonable quantities on Earth AND decide that Earth is the only place to get said materials easily.
*no chain:* The lack of a supply chain is bundled here due the fact that they are functionally identical. The only difference is in the goals of such an attack, a looting one would let the HE continue on, whereas a total lack of a supply chain would be a simple strategic strike.