ACQUISITION LOGISTICS

Military Acquisition efforts can be defined as:

Acquisition is the conceptualization, initiation, design, development, test, contracting, production, deployment, and logistic support, modification, and disposal of weapon and other systems, supplies, or services (including construction) to satisfy DoD needs, intended for use in or in support of military missions.
US Department of Defense

Acquisition Logistics is the process of obtaining required items from raw materials to finished goods and services. Commercial acquisitions often involve market research and technical considerations. Military acquisitions generally follow strict guidelines to balance procurement costs with performance needs. Logistics involves acquiring desired items at a specific quality and delivering them at a desired location, in the desired time and at desired quantities, to achieve the lowest acceptable Life Cycle Costs (LCC).

Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) items usually come with their own maintenance programs, as stated in the warranty. Should these items require maintenance the supplier then takes full responsibility for maintaining that item and/or makes another item available. COTS items are used "as is" and require no further modifications to meet user requirements.

Government Off The Shelf (GOTS) items are similar to COTS items with the exception that they are produced by the government as if they were a private contractor. GOTS items are used "as is" and require no further modifications to meet user requirements.

Non-Developmental Items (NDI) and Commercial and Non-Developmental Items (CaNDI) are similar to COTS items. A commercial item is any item, customarily used for non-governmental purposes, that has...