The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded two prototype contracts to Air Space Intelligence and Watchtower Labs under its Joint Sustainment Decision Tool program.
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DIU said Thursday the effort aims to advance artificial intelligence-enabled military logistics planning by applying commercial AI to forecast logistics needs, support course-of-action analysis and strengthen sustainment planning for large-scale combat operations, or LSCOs.
What Is the Joint Sustainment Decision Tool?
The Joint Sustainment Decision Tool program, launched by DIU, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Northern Command and the Defense Logistics Agency in August 2025, aims to replace existing systems to meet the needs of modern warfare. The platform is designed to help the Joint Logistics Enterprise transition from reactive to predictive sustainment operations during LSCOs. It seeks to leverage commercial AI and machine learning technologies to anticipate logistics requirements and manage distribution weeks in advance.
“Existing logistics and sustainment planning processes are complex and time-consuming. Logisticians do not have the resources they need to generate and analyze multiple courses of action to meet sustainment requirements, leading to suboptimal results,” said Masha Danilova, AI/ML deputy portfolio director at DIU. “The goal of this project is to substantially reduce the amount of time logisticians spend managing conflicting logistics priorities and requirements. In doing so, and with the help of AI, we can exponentially improve logisticians’ ability to proactively and dynamically plan ahead.”
What Capabilities Are Required for Joint Decision Sustainment Tool?
The DIU sought AI-enabled tools capable of developing realistic courses of action across multiple domains for commanders operating in contested and degraded environments. The systems are expected to keep sustainment activities aligned, while detecting risks and providing users with adaptive responses, enabling them to do branch planning and what-if analysis.
