Maintaining Weapons Systems Availability
Maintaining Weapons Systems Availability

Author: Doel Vargas

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13:

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"The Air Force, along with other sister services, has to decide how to best use its limited resources. The Air Force must ensure weapons systems are operationally available to the maximum extent possible regardless of the logistics product support strategy implemented because availability increases timely response to peace time operations, mobilizations and national defense contingencies. However, weapons availability sometimes suffers after transitioning from contract logistics support to organic support. This usually occurs because weapon systems normally transition from contract logistics to organic support later in their life cycle, where supportability issues normally appear. This research project utilized the problem/solution framework to identify key actions program managers must take before transitioning workload from contract logistics support to organic support to prevent any delays in sustainment to maintain weapon system availability to the Warfighter. This research highlights a few key actions Program Mangers, Product Support Managers and or Logistics personnel could take to improve depot activations and organic maintenance capabilities. For example, improving the use of DSOR II and CCaRS processes to better manage timely activation; improving the funding disconnects between CCaRS and other systems; and finding more efficient ways for program managers and support staff use of time. By taking these actions the Program Office will be in a better position to meet all statutory laws and maintain or maybe even increase weapons systems availability to the warfighter."--Abstract.

Weapons System Sustainment Planning Early in the Development Life Cycle
Weapons System Sustainment Planning Early in the Development Life Cycle

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2020-07-16

Total Pages: 99

ISBN-13: 0309675855

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According to the Government Accountability Office, sustainment of weapon systems accounts for approximately 70 percent of the total life-cycle costs. When sustainment is not considered early in the development process or as an integral part of the systems engineering design, it can negatively affect the ability of the Air Force to maintain and improve the weapon system once it enters service. At the request of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Weapons Systems Sustainment Planning Early in the Development Life Cycle identifies at what point or phase of the development of a weapons system sustainment planning should be integrated into the program; examines and provides recommendations regarding how sustainment planning should be evaluated throughout the development process; investigates and describes the current challenges with sustainment planning and determines what changes have occurred throughout the acquisition process that may have eroded sustainment planning; and identifies opportunities for acquisitions offices to gain greater access to sustainment expertise.

Air Force Software Sustainment and Maintenance of Weapons Systems
Air Force Software Sustainment and Maintenance of Weapons Systems

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2020-08-09

Total Pages: 101

ISBN-13: 0309678129

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Modern software engineering practices, pioneered by the commercial software community, have begun transforming Department of Defense (DoD) software development, integration processes, and deployment cycles. DoD must further adopt and adapt these practices across the full defense software life cycle - and this adoption has implications for software maintenance and software sustainment across the U.S. defense community. Air Force Software Sustainment and Maintenance of Weapons Systems evaluates the current state of software sustainment within the U.S. Air Force and recommends changes to the software sustainment enterprise. This report assesses how software that is embedded within weapon platforms is currently sustained within the U.S. Air Force; identifies the unique requirements of software sustainment; develops and recommends a software sustainment work breakdown structure; and identifies the necessary personnel skill sets and core competencies for software sustainment.

The Closed-Loop Planning System for Weapon System Readiness
The Closed-Loop Planning System for Weapon System Readiness

Author: Richard John Hillestad

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 0833038648

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Because the U.S. Air Force does not have an effective way of allocating limited funding for depot-level repair across weapon systems and calculating the readiness implications of such allocations, this report describes a methodology, the Closed-Loop Planning System, that estimates the effect of depot repair funding allocations on aircraft availability.

Military Readiness
Military Readiness

Author: United States. Government Accountability Office

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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DOD is continually challenged to provide battle-ready ground combat systems, ships and submarines, and aircraft to its warfighters, spending nearly $90 billion each year on weapon systems maintenance. To improve availability of weapon systems, DOD is implementing predictive maintenance. Often used in the private sector, predictive maintenance relies on personnel to use condition-monitoring technology and data analytics to schedule maintenance based on evidence of need. GAO examined the extent to which the military services have (1) implemented and (2) assessed the performance of predictive maintenance, and described (3) challenges and efforts to address challenges with implementing predictive maintenance. GAO is making 16 recommendations to the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force to develop plans to implement predictive maintenance and assess its performance.

Weapons Acquisition: DoD Should Strengthen Policies for Assessing Technical Data Needs to Support Weapon Systems
Weapons Acquisition: DoD Should Strengthen Policies for Assessing Technical Data Needs to Support Weapon Systems

Author:

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 58

ISBN-13: 9781422308653

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Army and the Air Force have encountered limitations in their sustainment plans for some fielded weapon systems because they lacked needed technical data rights. The lack of technical data rights has limited the services flexibility to make changes to sustainment plans that are aimed at achieving cost savings and meeting legislative requirements regarding depot maintenance capabilities. During our review we identified seven Army and Air Force weapon system programs where these military services encountered limitations in implementing revisions to sustainment plans C-17 aircraft, F-22 aircraft, C-130J aircraft, Up-armored High- Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), Stryker family of vehicles, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, and M4 carbine. Although the circumstances surrounding each case were unique, earlier decisions made on technical data rights during system acquisition were cited as a primary reason for the limitations subsequently encountered. As a result of the limitations encountered due to the lack of technical data rights, the services had to alter their plans for developing maintenance capability at public depots, new sources of supply to increase production, or competitive offers for the acquisition of spare parts and components to reduce sustainment costs. For example, the Air Force identified a need to develop a capability to perform maintenance on the C-17 at government depots but lacked the requisite technical data rights. Consequently, the Air Force is seeking to form partnerships with C-17 subvendors to develop its depot maintenance capability. Its efforts to form these partnerships have had mixed results, according to Air Force officials, because some sub-vendors have declined to provide the needed technical data.

Supporting Combined-arms Combat Capability with Shared Electronic Maintenance Facilities
Supporting Combined-arms Combat Capability with Shared Electronic Maintenance Facilities

Author: William G. Wild

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13:

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The U.S. Army shows signs of shifting away from using "weapon-system-specific" test diagnostic equipment and toward using more broadly capable versions of equipment that can isolate faults within subsystems and components from a number of different weapon systems (e.g., the proposed integrated family of test equipment, IFTE). As a result, weapon systems that once had uncontested access to specialized test equipment will now be relying on a common facility, and, hence, their availabilities will become linked. This study focuses on two systems--the M1 tank and M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle--that are linked through a common reliance on direct support electrical systems test set (DSESTS) test equipment. The author finds that greater weapon system availability and more robust support may be attainable at constant cost by emphasizing resources that are fungible across weapon systems, such as test equipment and improved theater transportation for selected high-priority items. The report also demonstrates a multiple weapon systems methodology that is instrumental in identifying such potential improvements.

Measuring the Impact of Programmed Depot Maintenance Funding Shortfalls on Weapon System Availability
Measuring the Impact of Programmed Depot Maintenance Funding Shortfalls on Weapon System Availability

Author: Donald F. Hurry

Publisher:

Published: 1996-03-01

Total Pages: 99

ISBN-13: 9781423575795

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This study used the Poisson regression technique, bootstrap estimates, and the Kaplan-Meier estimates for survivor curves to determine the impact of Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) on weapon system availability. More specifically, these techniques estimated the effect in the number failures per year due to PDM, but the bootstrap technique also estimated the effect in the amount of downtime experienced by a weapon system due to PDM. Although the Poisson regression model did not pass the rigors of statistical testing, the Poisson regression suggested differences in the number of failures per year between PDM and no-PDM weapon systems. The results of the bootstrap estimates for the number of failures per year and amount of downtime per year showed that the no-PDM weapon systems experienced approximately 1.3 failures per year while remaining unserviceable approximately 120 days per year, and PDM weapon systems experienced approximately .3 failures per year while remaining unserviceable approximately 30 days per year. PDM reduced the number of failures per year and drastically reduced weapon system downtime per year. PDM increased weapon system availability from approximately 67 percent to approximately 92 percent.

A Plan for ULMS Weapon System Maintenance and Its Personnel Implications
A Plan for ULMS Weapon System Maintenance and Its Personnel Implications

Author: Robert C. Trexler

Publisher:

Published: 1972

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13:

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EM (ULMS).(*maintenance personnel, *naval training), (*guided missilesunderwater-to-surface), maintenance), (*ballistic missile submarines, guided missilesunderwater-to-surface)), submarine personnel, maintenance equipment, instruction manuals, handbooks, transfer of training, guided missile personnel, teaching methodszugm-73a missiles, polaris, poseidon missiles, ulmsundersea long range missile systems), ugm-27 missiles, undersea long range missile systemsThe report describes research performed to develop a plan for the maintenance process applicable to the Undersea Long Range Missile System (ULMS). The plan developed forestalls possible stresses in the acquisition, training, and utilization of maintenance personnel. Interviews were conducted with U.S. Naval Strategic Systems Projects Office personnel, weapon system contractors, and others in related service and civilian organizations and activities. Areas were found where effort can be placed in ULMS planning that should result in ameliorating stresses found in the earlier POLARIS/POSEIDON personnel system. These areas are: hardware, technical documentation, training and career development. (Author).