“As part of both the National Defense Authorization Act and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense’s 5G-to-Next G Initiative, the installation of the VLM’s are results of the collaboration and integration efforts between the Department of Defense and private sector,” said Steven Burrill, NAVSUP FLC San Diego Naval Base Coronado 5G smart warehouse logistics program lead. “Projects like the vertical lift modules enable acceleration of the delivery of new capabilities to the warfighter. With each project, we continuously move forward and improve our supply chain processes. ”

The VLMs are part of the Navy’s first 5G project to leverage 5G network capabilities to automate and digitize naval supply chain operations. The capabilities being prototyped are expected to increase supply chain efficiency by leveraging the latest automation technologies such as Autonomous Mobile Robots and real-time asset visibility.

In total, four VLMs have been installed by V2X and SouthWest Warehouse Solutions and will be tested on a government owned 5G network which was designed and developed by AT&T. Future testing on the VLMs will incorporate technologies such as robotic material movement and automated inventory technologies.

The installation of the VLMs is expected to impact fleet readiness by increasing asset visibility and decreasing inventory losses by automating storage operations.

Once the VLMs are integrated with the 5G network, the capability to store more materiel while consuming less space, will enhance the Navy’s ability to support current-state operations and potential surge operations. The installation of the VLMs will increase storage capabilities by 77 percent while decreasing the storage footprint by 90 percent.

The remaining two VLMs are expected to be commissioned by November 2022. After necessary operator training, safety training, and movement of more than 12,000 line items, the four VLMs are expected to be fully mission operational by March 2023.

NAVSUP FLC San Diego is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor & family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom.