Examination of the U.S. Air Force's Aircraft Sustainment Needs in the Future and Its Strategy to Meet Those Needs (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 Technology Development and Insertion for Sustainment
5 Technology Development and Insertion for Sustainment
Pages 132-169
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Air Force (USAF) has demanded that technology development be a key element in providing the wherewithal to make the Air Force second to none in the world.
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Although some Air Force technology initiatives have focused on reducing the Air Forces' sustainment burden, in general technology development remains primarily focused on enhanced performance. In addition, programs that historically have been utilized to inject technology into the existing fleet have been weakened or no longer exist.
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3 Vince Russo. "Greybeard Assessment of the Sustainment Technology Transition Process." Presenta tion to the committee, February 7, 2011.
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"Air Force Science and Technology Strategy." Presentation to the Air Force Studies Board, November 16, 2010.
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2010. Technology Horizons: A Vision for Air Force Science and Technology During 2010 2030 (Volume I)
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In addi tion to Development Planning, there exist two other significant tools in the quest for clear, realistic, trade-off tolerant, stable, and universally understood requirements. These tools are the once-effective ATCs [Applied Technology Councils]
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"Air Force Science and Technology Strategy." Presentation to the Air Force Studies Board, November 16, 2010.
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Recently compiled statistics, shown in Figure 5-1, from the Air Force FIGURE 5-1 Figure 5-1.eps Total possessed hours for the KC-10 system. AA, aircraft availability; DFT, depot field team; PDM, programmed depot maintenance; MOD, modification; UDLM, unscheduled depot-level maintenance.
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Develop an overall strategy that addresses the Air Force aging aircraft needs 2. Recommend and prioritize specific technology opportunities in the areas of 17 Pam Kobryn.
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Also during this time HCF began to appear in commercial engines to a lesser extent than in military engines but with severe consequences to the manufacturer's development programs and revenue service for airlines.1 HCF affected virtually all engine components and many of the materials. It impacted not only engine reliability and safety of flight, but also sustain ment, requiring increased field inspections and depot maintenance and reduced aircraft availability.
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s . A i R f o Rc e ' s A i Rc R A f t s U s tA i n m e n t n e e d s fUtURe 142 in the FIGURE 5-2 Condition-based maintenance as part of the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program.
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2010. Technology Horizons: A Vision for Air Force Science and Technology During 2010 2030.
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Propulsion Materials The relative ease of re-engining offers unique opportunities for technology insertion into aging systems. Although the principal drivers for such engine replace ments are reductions in fuel costs and/or improvement in performance, reduced sustainment costs may also be an immediate consequence of re-engining.
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From page 145... ...
Constrained by a largely empirical strategy for development and testing, new materials are frequently "not ready" for inclusion in the designer's portfolio and are always considered the "material of the future." Recent developments, building on years of basic research in fundamental understanding, computation, and experimental technology, have led to a new paradigm for materials development, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)
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From page 146... ...
Addressing the development and transition of technology requires a robust system of prioritization, establishment of requirements, proper resourcing, and an adequate workforce to execute planned programs. The following section discusses the specifics of these elements within the Air Force technology development and transition process, beginning with a brief review of recent years.
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From page 147... ...
Many of these linkages continue to this day and constitute an important element in identifying the technology agenda and transition pathways. Twenty-five years ago, the Air Force S&T program was housed in 13 labs plus the Rome Air Development Center in New York.21 In 1990, these 13 labs, plus Rome, were reorganized into four major laboratories -- Armstrong Laboratory, Phillips Laboratory, Rome Laboratory, and Wright Laboratory.22 These four "superlabs" were aligned with four Air Force product centers -- Wright Laboratory with the Aeronautical Systems Center, Phillips Laboratory with the Space and Missiles Systems Center, Armstrong Laboratory with the Human Systems Center, and Rome Laboratory with the Electronics Systems Center.
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The laboratory provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping our air, space and cyberspace forces the world's best." 23 To support this mission, AFRL develops an investment strategy, delineating its emphasis areas, including near-, mid-, and long-range technologies. The eight TDs are responsible for discovering, developing, and transitioning the technologies required by this strategy.
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Even though the intent was that the sectors would be a single point of entry, customer technology transition processes were numerous, diverse, and spread across each of the TDs. Many transition processes involved relationships that existed prior to the AFRL's formation, especially with the product centers.
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Eventually this PE was transferred to the ASC aging aircraft office, where it became a key source of funds to facilitate the technology transition of sustainment-related technologies to the ALCs. The office was also strongly supported by the ASIP personnel in ASC.
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; air vehicles had aging aircraft; and propulsion had HCF, to name a few. Transition of the technology being developed under the Enabling Technology efforts was accomplished through arrangements set up by the TDs or by the TDs combined with the sectors.
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Advanced Concept Tech Demo (ACTD) Valley of Death Technology Planning IPTIPT Technology Planning Technology Planning IPTIPT Technology Planning Technology Transition ACTD ACTD Battle Lab Experiments Battle Lab Experiments • Sustained Senior Leader Emphasis Technical Lab Experiments Battle Events (JEFX)
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However, their level of support was dramatically reduced in the aging aircraft area. Largely because of budgetary pressures, the AFRL and ASC eventually closed their aging aircraft offices.
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37 USAF. The Air Force Science and Technology Plan Fiscal Year 2000.
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ManTech programs such as Lean Depot Repair (LDR) ; Aerial Multi-Axis Platform (AMP)
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C-17 technol ogy transition demonstration program, the new main landing gear doors incorporate several advanced manufacturing technologies and an improved design that will increase reliability by 40 percent. Turbine Engine Components Historically, methods for predicting the life of gas turbine engine rotor components have resulted in a conservative estimate of useful life.
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Air Force ManTech partnered with Warner-Robins Air Logistics Center to revolutionize the programmed depot maintenance lines for F-15 and C-5 aircraft, reducing cycle time and cost. As a result, critical warfighting assets are more quickly moved from maintenance to fully operational status.
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"Air Force Science and Technology Strategy." Presentation to the Air Force Studies Board, November 16, 2010.
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Schwartz, Chief Figure 5-7.eps of Staff, United States Air Force, and Michael B Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, " Air Force Science and Technology Strategy 2010."
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s . A i R f o Rc e ' s A i Rc R A f t s U s tA i n m e n t n e e d s fUtURe 160 in the Quoting Air Force Science and Technology Strategy 2010, the four stages in this process are42 Science and Knowledge Science and knowledge are the foundation of the Air Force S&T Program and the corner stone of the future force.
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, AFRL submitted several 43 Vince Russo. "Greybeard Assessment ofthe Sustainment Technology Transition Process." Presentation to the committee, Dayton, Ohio, February 7, 2011.
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initiated Between a leading DP concept and a prototype Assigned to lead Center for transition MAJCOM transition manager identified Transition funding (6.4) committed 2 years prior to S&T completion Defined S&T baseline/exit criteria S&T project ideally completed during current Future Years Defense Program 1 1 FIGURE 5-7 Definition and attributes of Flagship Capability Concepts (FCCs)
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Personal communication from Claudia Kropas Hughes, Deputy Chief, Technology Transition Division, AFMC/A5S, to the committee, May 4, 2011.
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SOURCE: Claudia Kropas-Hughes, Deputy Chief, Technology Figure 5-10.eps Transition Division, AFMC/A5S, personal communication to the committee, May 4, 2011. bitmap Resources Adequate and timely funding are key factors in any successful technology transition process.
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From page 165... ...
Adequate funding at the S&T stage is essential to creating and sustaining technical expertise, producing a suite of technologies with potential sustainment applications, and developing totally new technology solutions to sustainment issues. Inserting S&T solutions that are not quick reaction support can be very time sensitive.
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2010. Technology Horizons: A Vision for Air Force Science and Technology During 2010 2030 (Volume I)
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RECOMMENDATION AFRL can point to a long history of attention to sustainment and to many successful transitions to industry and the ALCs of technology that increased air craft availability and/or reduced maintenance costs. In recent years, support for sustainment-focused technology has waned because of increased attention to other technical priorities and opportunities, too frequent changes in strategy and process, and reductions in funding for sustainment technology, especially for the transition process.
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From page 169... ...
It is imperative in this changing environment that a comprehensive technology development and transition plan be completed and implemented with adequate resources and personnel to achieve the stated Air Force goals of ILCM. During the past decade, a series of changes in processes for establishing requirements and allocating adequate resources has led to a far less than optimum usage of the highly qualified personnel in AFRL and the ALCs charged with sustainment tasks.
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