Objectives: The global transition to Industry 4.0 has reshaped defense supply chains ,which are core to national power and deterrence yet face unique constraints: sanctions, high security demands, strategic inventory needs, and resilience under uncertainty. Existing commercial maturity models emphasize lean, profit-oriented principles and neglect military-specific security and resilience imperatives. This study develops a localized, multi-dimensional smart maturity framework for the defense sector, identifying key dimensions, components, and indicators to strengthen operational resilience, accelerate threat response, and support strategic deterrence.
Materials and Methods: A sequential mixed-methods design was used. The qualitative phase followed Sandelowski and Barroso’s seven-step meta-synthesis, reviewing Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Civilica over five years. From 110 initial articles, 25 high-quality studies (MMAT score >60%) were selected. Thematic coding extracted 32 indicators, organized into 16 components and five core dimensions (Kappa=0.874). The quantitative phase used PLS-SEM on survey data from 150 senior military logistics and digital transformation experts.
Results: The model comprises five dimensions: Smart Operational Capabilities, Smart Efficiency and Productivity, Smart Integration and Collaboration, Smart Security and Resilience, and Smart Organizational Foundations, with 16 components and 32 indicators. PLS-SEM confirmed high reliability and validity (CR >0.88, AVE >0.60). Smart Organizational Foundations was the strongest driver (β=0.52, p<0.001) toward Smart Integration and Collaboration. The model explained 57% of variance in Smart Efficiency and Productivity (R²=0.57) and 51% in Smart Integration and Collaboration (R²=0.51).
Conclusion: Smart maturity in defense industries cannot be measured by commercial metrics like just-in-time; it must be defined by maximizing operational readiness and active resilience. Policymakers should prioritize human capital and cultural change before large-scale technology investment. The dedicated security dimension confirms that technological advances are only as mature as the cyber-defense protecting them. This framework enables defense managers to objectively identify performance gaps and allocate resources for maximum combat support impact.