Think unmanned and uncrewed systems, as well as manned-unmanned teaming, particularly in transportation capabilities on the ground, at sea, under the sea, in the air, and in space. The shift to autonomous systems has applicability in the public sector, as well, which is why there is such ripe opportunity for us to move forward rapidly. For military application, unmanned and uncrewed systems provide huge opportunities for sustaining a force in the fight. Although we must balance this with affordability and accountability.
The Marine Corps is already providing subject matter expertise over global distances with encrypted digital chats to discuss troubleshooting of weapon systems, and even conducting maintenance at echelons normally higher than the on-site mechanic is familiar with. We are doing this with aviation and ground platforms. This is currently occurring regularly between U.S. forces and Ukrainians who are learning to conduct maintenance on equipment sourced from the U.S. Telemedicine for clinical services is becoming more acceptable. Further growth in tele-surgery has resulted in specialized surgeons on one end assisting a general surgeon at the remote end, and even remote robotic surgery. This is a very small field now, although the opportunities to expand this to the tactical edge will save lives, particularly in remote locations with limited casualty evacuation capability and availability.
3D, additive, and subtractive manufacturing reduces the time and distance for distribution of a repair part. It increases responsiveness at the point and time of need. Among many challenges are technical data rights and permissions, certification for tensile strength of weight bearing parts, and the impact on the manufacturing lines back at home. Large-format, concrete 3D printing and other variations of construction 3D printing are also very applicable to support rapid deliberate military construction, as well as recovery of facilities after an attack. The ability of a young Marine to conduct tactical level manufacturing on the front lines will save lives, particularly in a distributed, contested operating environment.
Alternative energy reduces the demand to transport liquid fuel over thousands of miles. Each alternative energy option comes with new challenges in sustainability, safety, and form factor. Regenerative energy is critical to ensure the force does not culminate during the fight or even before the fight begins. Alternative energy is also directly related to our installations, where we are leaning forward with proofs of concept in alternative energy options to include solar and biomass steam turbines. Partnership with local businesses and communities will enhance our base and local community energy resiliency, which is critical to mission assurance.
Leveraging data to enhance decision making to provide the right support, to the right place, at the right time. We are looking to learn from commercial benchmarks that have shown us what is in the realm of the possible. While not intending to advertise for specific brands, two benchmarks that are worth noting are Amazon and FedEx.
-The user interface that so many of us find to be second nature in the Amazon app to rapidly search multiple sources of supply and choose an item based on cost, delivery time, or condition, provides a model for how we want our Marines to be able to search quickly for options and make the right purchase to meet mission. Behind that user interface is a large data pool connected to warehouses and distribution options, as well as the fiscal connections, to rapidly initiate supply responsiveness.
-The second example is FedEx, which uses data science and machine learning to help make distribution more efficient. FedEx uses data to reflect real time distribution across air and ground services, as well as the predictive analytics to anticipate impacts due to disruptive weather and even geopolitical shifts. Further, these models provide options for rerouting that support centralized human decision making for risk mitigation.