Challenges And Issues With The Further Aging Of Us Air Force Aircraft

Author : J. R. Gebman
Publisher : Rand Corporation
ISBN 13 : 0833045180
Total Pages : 81 pages
Book Rating : 4.88/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Challenges and Issues with the Further Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft written by J. R. Gebman and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2009 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the next 20 years, the further aging of already-old aircraft will introduce challenges and issues for aircraft operators. The technical challenges relate to structures, propulsion, and systems. The institutional challenges include limitations on independent verification of fleet status and future condition and on information needed for engineering analyses including risk assessment, and an overall scarcity of resources.

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309059356
Total Pages : 125 pages
Book Rating : 4.50/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1997-10-30 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the aircraft that form the backbone of the U.S. Air Force operational fleet are 25 years old or older. A few of these will be replaced with new aircraft, but many are expected to remain in service an additional 25 years or more. This book provides a strategy to address the technical needs and priorities associated with the Air Force's aging airframe structures. It includes a detailed summary of the structural status of the aging force, identification of key technical issues, recommendations for near-term engineering and management actions, and prioritized near-term and long-term research recommendations.

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft written by and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Air Force requested the National Research Council to identify research and development (R & D) needs and opportunities to support the continued operation of their aging aircraft. Specifically, this study focuses on aging aircraft structures and materials and has the major objectives of 1. developing an overall strategy that addresses the Air Force aging aircraft needs 2. recommending and prioritizing specific technology opportunities in the areas of fatigue, corrosion fatigue, and stress corrosion cracking corrosion, prevention and mitigation, nondestructive inspection maintenance and repair, failure analysis and life prediction methodologies. The approach that the committee took to accomplish this study was to conduct working sessions to identify current aging aircraft problems and technology needs; review ongoing and planned aging aircraft R & D efforts by the Air Force; and review related research at other government agencies, within industry and in the academic research community.

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309074495
Total Pages : 77 pages
Book Rating : 4.90/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Aging Avionics in Military Aircraft written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-06-07 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Extending the life of an airframe has proven challenging and costly. Extending the life of an avionics system, however, is one of the most critical and difficult aspects of extending total aircraft system lifetimes. Critical components go out of production or become obsolete, and many former suppliers of military-grade components have gone out of business. From 1986 to 1996, for example, the percentage of discontinued military/aerospace electronic devices nearly doubledâ€"from 7.5 percent to 13.5 percent. In addition, legacy avionics systems, which were designed to meet requirements of the past, generally lack the full capability to perform new missions, meet new threats, or perform well in the new information-intensive battlefield environments. As the legacy aircraft fleet ages, avionics systems will become more and more difficult to support and maintain. Whereas the military once provided a large and profitable market for the electronics industry, the military electronics market today constitutes less than 1 percent of the commercial market. As a result, the military must increasingly rely on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies for its avionics hardware and software. Although COTS items are generally less expensive than comparable items designed especially to meet military specifications, the technology-refresh cycle for COTS is typically 18 months or less, which exacerbates the obsolescence problem for aircraft whose lifetimes are measured in decades. The short refresh cycle is driven mostly by the tremendous advances in computer systems, which comprise an increasing percentage of avionics content. In response to a request by the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the National Research Council convened the Committee on Aging Avionics in Military Aircraft, under the auspices of the Air Force Science and Technology Board, to conduct this study. This report summarizes the following: Gather information from DoD, other government agencies, and industrial sources on the status of, and issues surrounding, the aging avionics problem. This should include briefings from and discussions with senior industry executives and military acquisition and support personnel. A part of this activity should include a review of Air Force Materiel Command's study on diminishing manufacturing sources to recommend ways to mitigate avionics obsolescence. Provide recommendations for new approaches and innovative techniques to improve management of aging avionics, with the goal of helping the Air Force to enhance supportability and replacement of aging and obsolescing avionics and minimize associated life cycle costs. Comment on the division of technology responsibility between DoD and industry.

Author : Kenneth M. Mead
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 64 pages
Book Rating : 4.35/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Meeting the Aging Aircraft Challenge written by Kenneth M. Mead and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309272610
Total Pages : 57 pages
Book Rating : 4.12/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Zero-Sustainment Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-04-12 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overall Air Force weapon system sustainment (WSS) costs are growing at more than 4 percent per year, while budgets have remained essentially flat. The cost growth is due partly to aging of the aircraft fleet, and partly to the cost of supporting higher-performance aircraft and new capabilities provided by more complex and sophisticated systems, such as the latest intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. Furthermore, the expectation for the foreseeable future is that sustainment budgets are likely to decrease, so that the gap between budgets and sustainment needs will likely continue to grow wider. Most observers accept that the Air Force will have to adopt new approaches to WSS if it is going to address this problem and remain capable of carrying out its missions. In this context, the original intent of this 3-day workshop was to focus on ways that science and technology (S&T) could help the Air Force reduce sustainment costs. However, as the workshop evolved, the discussions focused more and more on Air Force leadership, management authority, and culture as the more critical factors that need to change in order to solve sustainment problems. Many participants felt that while S&T investments could certainly help-particularly if applied in the early stages ("to the left") of the product life cycle-adopting a transformational management approach that defines the user-driven goals of the enterprise, empowers people to achieve them, and holds them accountable, down to the shop level. Several workshop participants urged Air Force leaders to start the process now, even though it will take years to percolate down through the entire organization. These sustainment concerns are not new and have been studied extensively, including recent reports from the National Research Council's Air Force Studies Board and the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.

Author : Yool Kim
Publisher : Rand Corporation
ISBN 13 : 0833038621
Total Pages : 127 pages
Book Rating : 4.23/5 ( download)

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Download or read book A Survey of Aircraft Structural-life Management Programs in the U.S. Navy, the Canadian Forces, and the U.S. Air Force written by Yool Kim and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2006 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The average age of aircraft in the U.S. Air Force is 22, making aging an increasing concern. The Air Force program responsible for maintaining the structural safety of its aircraft faces challenges, however, such as budgetary pressures, regulations, and communication issues. The authors sought insights on these issues by comparing similar programs in other services. Their observations suggest the value of clear policies, independent assessments, standard metrics, and open and clear communication.

Author : Mark F. Cancian
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538140365
Total Pages : 129 pages
Book Rating : 4.69/5 ( download)

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Download or read book U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021 written by Mark F. Cancian and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CSIS senior adviser Mark Cancian annually produces a series of white papers on U.S. military forces, including their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges. This report is a compilation of these papers and takes a deep look at each of the military services, the new Space Force, special operations forces, DOD civilians, and contractors in the FY 2021 budget. This report further includes a foreword regarding how the Biden administration might approach decisions facing the military forces, drawing on insights from the individual chapters.

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309174473
Total Pages : 124 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1997-09-30 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the aircraft that form the backbone of the U.S. Air Force operational fleet are 25 years old or older. A few of these will be replaced with new aircraft, but many are expected to remain in service an additional 25 years or more. This book provides a strategy to address the technical needs and priorities associated with the Air Force's aging airframe structures. It includes a detailed summary of the structural status of the aging force, identification of key technical issues, recommendations for near-term engineering and management actions, and prioritized near-term and long-term research recommendations.

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 030921520X
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.06/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Examination of the U.S. Air Force's Aircraft Sustainment Needs in the Future and Its Strategy to Meet Those Needs written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-11-17 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ability of the United States Air Force (USAF) to keep its aircraft operating at an acceptable operational tempo, in wartime and in peacetime, has been important to the Air Force since its inception. This is a much larger issue for the Air Force today, having effectively been at war for 20 years, with its aircraft becoming increasingly more expensive to operate and maintain and with military budgets certain to further decrease. The enormously complex Air Force weapon system sustainment enterprise is currently constrained on many sides by laws, policies, regulations and procedures, relationships, and organizational issues emanating from Congress, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Air Force itself. Against the back-drop of these stark realities, the Air Force requested the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies, under the auspices of the Air Force Studies Board to conduct and in-depth assessment of current and future Air Force weapon system sustainment initiatives and recommended future courses of action for consideration by the Air Force. Examination of the U.S. Air Force's Aircraft Sustainment Needs in the Future and Its Strategy to Meet Those Needs addresses the following topics: Assess current sustainment investments, infrastructure, and processes for adequacy in sustaining aging legacy systems and their support equipment. Determine if any modifications in policy are required and, if so, identify them and make recommendations for changes in Air Force regulations, policies, and strategies to accomplish the sustainment goals of the Air Force. Determine if any modifications in technology efforts are required and, if so, identify them and make recommendations regarding the technology efforts that should be pursued because they could make positive impacts on the sustainment of the current and future systems and equipment of the Air Force. Determine if the Air Logistics Centers have the necessary resources (funding, manpower, skill sets, and technologies) and are equipped and organized to sustain legacy systems and equipment and the Air Force of tomorrow. Identify and make recommendations regarding incorporating sustainability into future aircraft designs.