Beijing, December 28, 2025 (Agencies) – China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is developing a next-generation, AI-driven logistics system designed to provide real-time supply support across its Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force units, according to official reports. The system integrates sensors, predictive planning, cargo drones, and unmanned ground vehicles to ensure troops can be supplied even under fire.
At the core of this initiative is the PLA Joint Logistic Support Force (JLSF), created in 2016 to unify theater-level sustainment. The JLSF manages depots, bases, and information systems across all services, combining data from military units and civilian contractors to create cross-theater resupply plans.
The first component of the system is continuous demand sensing. PLA units are moving from periodic reporting to automated monitoring of vehicles, equipment, and depot inventories. Smart depots with unique item IDs and automated storage allow logisticians to track resources in real time. Public warehouses across training bases hold shared equipment, allowing units to pre-order supplies such as tents, generators, and camouflage nets, reducing transport loads and improving efficiency.
The second layer involves AI-enabled scheduling and optimization. Once demand is detected, the system rapidly matches supply with needs, using real-time data aggregation and intelligent dispatch through platforms such as the PLA’s “Xueyu” delivery app. This enables dynamic allocation of trucks, aircraft, and warehouse space while prioritizing urgent requirements.
Civilian logistics companies are also integrated into the system. Partnerships with major firms such as JD Logistics, SF Express, and Deppon provide additional transport, warehousing, and procurement capacity. These collaborations allow the PLA to treat civilian fleets and warehouses as extensions of its own supply network, giving commanders greater flexibility during high-tempo operations.
The final component is autonomous last-mile delivery. The PLA is testing cargo drones and tracked unmanned ground vehicles like the “Mule-200” to transport rations, ammunition, and equipment in difficult terrain or contested areas, reducing exposure for personnel and increasing supply reliability.
A practical application of this smart logistics model is the Military Oil Internet-of-Things Platform, which continuously monitors fuel stocks, tank conditions, and usage across depots, providing commanders with a real-time operational picture.
PLA planners emphasize logistics as a decisive factor in potential conflicts, particularly in scenarios such as cross-strait operations. Analysts note that the smart logistics network not only improves efficiency in peacetime but also creates critical nodes that could be targeted in a conflict. U.S. and allied defense planners are expected to reassess assumptions about PLA sustainment and consider the vulnerabilities of integrated civilian-military logistics networks.
The development of AI-powered logistics reflects China’s broader military modernization goals, aiming to create a resilient, responsive, and technologically advanced system capable of sustaining combat operations under increasingly complex and contested conditions.