Design of a sustainable forward operating base

This paper presents ideas for a more sustainable design of a forward operating base (FOB) with an overall aim to reduce its supply chain footprint through a holistic approach. We use System-of-systems principles to understand the current design rationale and analyse the impact of current energy demand and resource waste, in order to identify practical solutions for this challenging environment. Our proposed design features two key ideas - deployment of a standardised structure and water treatment and recycling. We found that the combination of these two elements produces an overall more sustainable FOB design for the British military in Afghanistan.