Blockchain Mergence for Distributed Ledgers Supporting Fleet Logistics and Maintenance

Abstract

Blockchain is highly adaptable and enables distributed transaction logging through its cryptographic underpinnings, making it an attractive technology for diverse suppliers and acquisition integrators. Supply chain tracking using blockchain must, however, support updates to item records throughout the life cycle—including repair and carcass tracking within Depot Level Repairable (DLR) and back into operation. Unmanned systems, additive manufacturing of parts, and version-control of software updates are all exemplars related to the supply chain requiring addition, deletion, updating, and mergence of a wide array of records. This raises the question of how to build and integrate an integrity-protected item history record that is updateable regardless of when or where changes may occur. We call this approach to updateable record management blockchain mergence and investigate how item tracking can be achieved throughout the full item life cycle, even under intermittent connectivity of deployed assets in combat environments. We demonstrate blockchain mergence through an interweaving of dual chains—an authenticated local history signature chain and a global blockchain—and apply it to an unmanned aerial system repair case. Blockchain mergence offers significant opportunities for distributed decentralized trust among diverse producers and consumers of both materiel and information, ashore and afloat.