The Logistics Team, a sub-team within Current Readiness, oversees force-wide maintenance/supply processes to ensure production of prescribed levels of equipment “ready for tasking” at reduced product-line costs. This team focuses on the efficiency/effectiveness of all integrated logistics support processes, including material requirements forecasting, scheduling, contracting, purchasing, buying & inventory administration, distribution, repair induction, planning, diagnostics, repair & quality assurance.The Integrated Logistics Support System Tool assessment tools assist in identifying root causes of readiness cost degradation, enabling logistics assessment triage process platform teams enter into briefing cycles.
The tool uses a historical baseline to identify components that perform outside established parameters, providing early indications of potential degradation before they affect readiness or costs and also provides more than 100 top-level metrics with detailed transactional data to assist in trend assessments. The logistics assessment process standardises the way teams identify readiness costs & degradation via assessment capabilities, standardised process models, and improved access to aggregated information.
At the end of logistics assessments, teams work on initiatives and courses of action to reduce the ready-for-tasking gaps, as well as operations & sustainment costs.The Fleet Readiness Centers’ Aviation Rapid Action Team comprises engineering, maintenance &logistics experts who quickly develop, test, and deploy solutions to maintenance problems. They identify potential opportunities, improve or create repair capabilities, certify procedures, train technicians .helping sites establish their own permanent capability/support
Co-located maintenance alters the traditional depot-level maintenance repair process by moving the intermediate and depot maintenance capabilities closer to each other. Under this new process, Navy personnel work at the depot site & perform intermediate repairs on items inducted into the depot repair cycle. When finished, they hand the items over to civilian artisans who perform the remaining depot repairs. This process lowers the charges for aviation depot-level repairable items.
Similar initiatives are being applied to all platforms. Root cause assessments are performed in four areas–maintenance practices, maintenance planning, repair capability & contract strategies–with an eye on depot-level repairable & consumable cost drivers that present potential opportunities to reduce costs per flying hour. In the process, actual failure rates are compared to current maintenance plans, opportunities to turn high-cost consumables into repairables are investigated & additional repair capabilities are established as needed.
Event-based maintenance, which requires fewer preventive maintenance hours at the squadron level, will result in operations and sustainment cost reductions. A significant number of initiatives have reduced life cycle costs, such as repairing several hundred parts that otherwise would have been discarded. Another initiative was the application of a phased strategy to programme performance-based logistics support efforts. This strategy involves different levels of supplier maturity, while setting desired levels of performance for industry in key areas: technical assistance & engineering investigation turnaround times, supply response time, etc..
The programme is maturing its intermediate & depot-level maintenance capabilities by leading depot establishment support, providing equipment, bills of material, drawings, lending training &technical assistance. In addition, the aircraft itself is undergoing improvements through component changes that will avoid life-cycle costs
Current budget planning provides funding for operating maintenance & acquisition accounts. Program life cycle costs have tended to exceed expectations during execution. Efforts to account for shortfalls in acquiring systems are often balanced with affordability goals in operation & support of the new & legacy systems.
Historical trends and forecasts suggest that the estimated operations & sustainment planning figures would require reduction in costs to sustain fleet operations as currently envisioned. Naval Aviation is making “should cost” a priority to understand and manage affordability, while balancing risk and meeting operational requirements. Reducing the overall cost per flying hour is a key component of reducing operations & sustainment costs. Several initiatives are underway to assist in achieving these goals
The crew chief uses existing maintenance instructions to verify the fault and manually complete a record to report the aircraft is grounded and record the fault e.g., intermediate tail rotor gearbox input seal leaking. The crew chief then notifies maintenance of the fault. Since the repair of the gearbox is above the capability of O-level maintenance, the aircraft must be evacuated to the I-level for repair. In this scenario, internal coordination has taken place between the O-level and I-level to have the gearbox repaired and returned to the user..
The crew chief then follows maintenance instructions in existing manuals to remove the unserviceable gearbox from the aircraft. He also completes the aircraft inspection and maintenance record, entering the fault description and the aircraft hours, time, date, etc. He completes the related maintenance actions record to note each related maintenance action. For example, “removed number 4 and 5 tail rotor drive shaft retaining clamps,” “removed number 4 and 5 tail rotor drive shafts,” and “removed intermediate tail rotor gearbox retaining nuts and removed intermediate gearbox.”
Before forwarding the unserviceable gearbox to intermediate maintenance, the crew chief must complete a component removal and repair and overhaul record for the gearbox. This form contains historical usage data for the component; it is forwarded to I-level maintenance facility with the component. The crew chief also updates the aircraft component historical record by completing information about the gearbox’s removal. An unserviceable/repairable tag is completed, signed by a technical inspector, and attached to the unserviceable gearbox.
The transfer of the gearbox from the O-level to the I-level is facilitated by the organizational unit completing a maintenance request form, with all pertinent component information and a description of the fault, and entries in the maintenance request register. The gearbox is then transported to the I-level facility along with all documentation. This scenario continues in I-level maintenance section for repair of the gearbox.
The crew chief is notified once the replacement gearbox is received by the unit’s tech supply. For installation, the crew chief inspects the replacement intermediate gearbox for condition and the inclusion of a properly completed component removal and repair/overhaul record. He then installs the gearbox, following maintenance instructions in technical manuals, and completes the related maintenance actions record installed gearbox and torqued, installed 4 and 5 tail rotor drive shafts, etc. He also completes the aircraft inspection and maintenance record, indicating the serial number of the new gearbox.
Next, using the component removal and repair/overhaul record for the replacement gearbox, the crew chief completes the required usage entries from this record and enters the data in the aircraft component historical record. He also completes the oil analysis log with the due date of the new intermediate gearbox sample.
Once all maintenance entries are signed off and cleared by the technical inspector, the crew chief or technical inspector enters the requirement for a maintenance test flight for the replacement of the intermediate tail rotor gearbox on the aircraft status information record.
A maintenance test pilot conducts the test flight in accordance with established procedures. Upon successful completion of the maintenance test flight, the test pilot signs the aircraft status information record and the aircraft is returned to an airworthy or ready condition.
Intermediate maintenance is the maintenance level between the most extensive maintenance — depot, and the least extensive but usually the most common organizational. intermediate-level maintenance defined as that maintenance that is the responsibility of and performed by designated maintenance activities for direct support of using organizations. Its phases normally consist of: calibration, repair, or replacement of damaged or unserviceable parts, components, or assemblies; the emergency manufacture of non-available parts; and providing technical assistance to using organizations.
The Services generally require varying degrees of maintenance capability at different locations. Specifically, maintenance capability at any particular level depends upon mission requirements, force protection, economics of repair, transportation limitations, component reliability, workload agreements, facility requirements, frequency of tasks, and special training required. These requirements exist as Service doctrine that aligns maintenance support structure with the Services' strategic capabilities and objectives.
Organisational maintenance is the responsibility of and performed by a using organisation on its assigned equipment. Its phases normally consist of inspecting, servicing, lubricating, and adjusting, as well as the replacing of parts, minor assemblies, and subassemblies. Of note is that organizational-level maintenance describes work performed in the field, on the flightline, or at the equipment site, and is not only accomplished by maintenance personnel, but also by equipment operators.
After system fielding, it may be necessary to alter or change the configuration based on emerging operational requirements, improved technology, or to improve life cycle cost. All changes which affect Form, Fit or Function must be managed via the alteration process. Alterations and changes are reviewed with respect to their impact on safety, operational readiness, life cycle cost and supportability to the system and thoroughly assessed.
Each of the support elements and related disciplines are analyzed to determine the impact of the proposed alteration on the system. All impacts to the support structure i.e., manpower, training, technical manuals, spare parts, etc. are carefully assessed, planned for, and executed.
Maintenance Planning is the foundation of effective life cycle planning. The maintenance plan may include the technical manual, spare parts, drawings, and other data required to ensure a cost effective system, minimized life cycle cost, and reliability/readiness parameters. Maintenance Planners will use the process as a guide for developing the maintenance plan. The PM has the responsibility for establishing the maintenance plan.
Maintenance planning is an iterative process to explore alternatives and to establish concepts and plans for maintaining a system throughout its life cycle and provides the basis for development of all other logistics support requirements. This process starts with the development of a maintenance concept which is published in requirements documents in very broad terms. As an acquisition program proceeds through the various acquisition phases, maintenance planning will become more defined. Ultimately individual maintenance actions are assigned to appropriate levels of maintenance.
Maintenance planning is performed to ensure: Development of the minimum set of maintenance requirements necessary to operate the equipment at its assigned readiness threshold. Assignment of maintenance tasks to the appropriate level where they are accomplished most efficiently and effectively. Development of a maintenance concept and detailed maintenance planning which will provide the information necessary to support logistics planning and management decisions.
For all expeditionary acquisitions, maintenance planning will begin at the initiation of the program. As the system design progresses, maintenance plans are refined into a maintenance concept based on the results of specific tasks within the supportability process. These tasks include Supportability Analyses, Level of Repair Analysis Failure Modes, Effects Analysis, and warranty provisions. The process will be used as a guide to developing the maintenance plan. Complexity and cost of the system, preventive and corrective maintenance tasks, and the skills and numbers of personnel required and available are some of the areas analyzed to refine the maintenance plan
Provide input to outline the initial maintenance concept, which is developed through review of historical, comparative analysis, cost data, and unique support and/or employment requirements. Provide technical guidance and/or support to ensure that individual maintenance concepts and plans are formulated in accordance with established guidance.
Conduct evaluation of multiple sources of user feedback to determine readiness and maintenance circumstances. The result of the assessment may result in changes to the maintenance tasks, revision to technical manual information, or operator training changes.
A critical task in the maintenance planning process is identifying those preventive maintenance checks and services that maintain equipment at specified readiness goals. Must have standardised method for planning, scheduling, and accomplishing preventive maintenance by the expeditionary force.
All expeditionary acquisitions will use Reliability-Centered Maintenance methodologies to develop requirements for a system and each system will be covered by a Maintenance Index Page. The goal is to identify the minimum preventive maintenance procedures required to maintain equipment in a fully operable condition within specifications.
As part of the maintenance planning process, each support worthy system procured for the expeditionary forces will undergo an analysis to establish preventive maintenance requirements. Supply support consists of all management actions, procedures, and techniques used in acquiring, cataloging, receiving, storing, transferring, issuing, and disposing of equipment, and spares and/or repair parts.
The aim for all expeditionary programs is to have adequate organic supply support to achieve system readiness objectives available at the proper echelons of supply and maintenance. This support, including spare and/or repair parts and publications, are continued throughout the system's life cycle. When organic support cannot be put in place prior initial capability interim supply support strategies will be employed. There are three primary areas that an acquisition supply support program should address: provisioning, cataloging, and replenishment.
Provisioning is the process of determining which materiel and how much of that materiel is necessary to support and maintain a system or equipment for all levels of maintenance-- organisational, intermediate, and depot for an initial period, not to exceed two years. Provisioning must include the identification, selection, and acquisition of initial support items required for maintenance and provides instructions to ensure these items are prepositioned in the supply system and/or maintenance echelons before new systems are placed in service. The assignment and verification of supply management codes such as Source, Maintenance, and Recoverability codes, criticality classification, item management, and others occur during the provisioning process and must be consistent with other supportability analysis processes.
The replenishment phase of supply support is the means by which spares are positioned and sustained in service supply chains. This process is a continuous updating or refinement of the support requirements identified prior to system fielding. These requirements, which were based on anticipated failure rates, logistics delay times and other related factors during provisioning, must be recomputed based on actual values measured during the fielding/deployment phase.
Each system may have unique post production support problems, many of which were not anticipated. These problems may include obsolete parts, inadequate sources of supply for the spare and/or repair parts, and changes in technology. Issues are mitigated as part of the replenishment process.
Expeditionary programs shall ensure that each program submits product support sheets to identify spares funding requirements. At program initiation, supply support will plan for and execute program provisioning, cataloging and replenishment requirements. As programs begin to install new equipment, spares budgets will be utilized to “buy out” spares to support the new equipment installations. Expeditionary programs will use the standard outfitting process.
1. Plan, coordinate, monitor, evaluate and adjust reset actions to support ground equipment reset
2. Provide total life cycle management governance of ground equipment being reset
3. Identify resource requirements to facilitate reset planning and execution
4. Integrate logistics plans, policies, and strategic mobility for ground equipment
5. Integrate installation capabilities in support of ground equipment reset actions
6. Establish specific Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, Modernization programs for ground equipment reset requirements
7. Identify budgetary resources to facilitate project planning and execution
8. Provide logistics intelligence regarding ground equipment reset to senior leadership
9. Identify operational requirements to facilitate reset and reconstitution planning and execution
10. Identify and prioritize all critical supply and equipment shortfalls
11. Manage resource programming and budgeting to support reset and reconstitution
12. Review and provide assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of reset programs as they relate to resourcing
13. Develop ground equipment requirements and concepts related to reset and reconstitution
14. Identify equipment purchased through the Urgent Needs Statement/Urgent Universal Needs
15. Identify, consolidate obsolete equipment requiring reset to provide interim capabilities until procurement actions can be accomplished
16. Identify obsolete equipment not requiring reset, in order to provide for appropriate disposition
17. Determine the final destination of unique equipment being retrograded, redeployed, or redistributed
18. Main effort for the execution of the reset of ground equipment returning from combat
19. Perform depot level maintenance and Manage the issue of reset ground equipment
20. Provide assistance in the performance of field level maintenance for equipment returned directly to home stations
21. Perform inventory management functions for ground equipment in support of reset and reconstitution
22. Publish and maintain a depot maintenance plan incorporating capacity from defense depots, commercial outsourcing, etc.
23. Manage the receipt, reset, and distribution of Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement authority equipment
24. Develop and implement an equipment rotation program to support sustained operations
25. Ensure Consolidated Issue Facilities capture accurate cost data and reorder Individual Combat Equipment to replace combat damaged equipment
26. Execute marking of all ground equipment service plans entered into maintenance cycles
27. Forecast projected maintenance depot workloads and provide forecast to Supporting Establishment
28. Manage and execute reconstitution of prepositioning programs
29. Facilitate the retrograde of ground equipment to maintenance facilities within and outside of theater
30. Arrange all Common User Land Transportation in-theater to move equipment transferred to their custody to applicable Aerial Ports of Debarkation and Surface Ports of Debarkation
31. Report and track strategic movement of equipment within and outside of theater
32. Utilize the Time Phased Force and Deployment Data process when redeploying equipment
33. Identify resource requirements to facilitate reset planning and execution
34. Coordinate Life Cycle Management plans for ground equipment returning from combat operations
35. Provide support in order to provide In-Transit Visibility of ground combat equipment being reset and distributed for reconstitution
36. Identify equipment and their locations to reset equipment returning from combat
37. Determine and identify equipment reset strategies for each Authorized Material Control Number
38. Execute procurement actions on ground equipment that has been determined uneconomical to repair
39. Identify equipment and secondary reparables requiring marking during reset and reconstitution
40. Update equipment delivery schedules resulting from new procurements
41. Implement reset and reconstitution at operational and tactical levels
42. Conduct maintenance actions on equipment returning from combat operations using appropriate reset funding.
43. Provide adequate reset funding for stock replenishment for returning equipment
44. Ensure required capabilities remain in theater for mission accomplishment
45. Maintain operational control of the retrograde and redeployment process
46. Validate force requirements and equipment density lists to support operations
47. Assist and facilitate command and control of retrograde and redeployment
48. Manage redistribution transit of ground equipment assets in support of transition.
49. Ensure adequate warehousing/surge maintenance capabilities
50. Provide for adequate contracting support to support reset