Supply & Logistics

What is FOB / COP?

Forward Operating Base / Combat Outpost

A Forward Operating Base (FOB) is a secured forward position that supports operations away from a main base; a Combat Outpost (COP) is a smaller, more austere forward position. Both are the demand points that contingency logistics must reach — and the harder the location, the more visibility and planning matter.

Sustaining FOBs and COPs — fuel, water, food, parts — is the core problem contingency logistics contracts exist to solve.

Common questions

What is the difference between a FOB and a COP?

Scale and permanence: a FOB is a larger, better-supported forward base; a COP is a smaller, more austere outpost. Both depend on a logistics tail to sustain them.