Depot Maintenance (NON-IF)

Abstract

3030: A significant portion of the F/A-18 and EA-18G airframe is believed to have additional inherent capability and a life extension may be possible for many portions of the airframe. The F/A-18 Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP) is assessing the structural and subsystem conditions of the F/A-18 fleet in order to determine what modifications are necessary to extend the aircraft design life limits to allow it to achieve Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) inventory requirements. Without SLAP and the follow on Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), aircraft are retired from the USN inventory when a design service life metric is reached. RDTE funds will support aircraft teardown to validate SLAP analysis, identify unknown fatigue areas and assess the aircraft's material condition. 3182: The T-45 aircraft structure is currently fatigue limited to 14,400 flight hours based on initial full-scale fatigue tests. This service life limit prevents the T-45 fleet from meeting Integrated Production Plan (IPP) past 2025. Studies demonstrate that the 14,400 flight hour service life can be extended, with a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), to 21,600 flight hours, which will support meeting IPP until 2035. A T-45 Structural Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP) was completed in February 2012. In order for the T-45 to meet IPP until 2035, it is also necessary to assess the subsystems of the T-45 in their ability to remain viable. In FY13 an initial subsystem assessment, based on the updated fleet aircraft usage spectrum and future predicted training missions of the T-45 aircraft, found 79 dispositions requiring further analysis, teardowns, age explorations, recertification and/or testing . The assessment of the subsystems that make up these 79 dispositions will address all critical subsystems required and their ability to maintain IPP/NTR until 2035, analysis and studies will be conducted to outline improvements, assess manufacturing capabilities, prototype redesign and test of subsystems for trainer aircraft. 3384: MH-60 SLAP is assessing the primary aircraft structure and subsystem condition of the MH-60S fleet in order to evaluate the airframe's ability to meet its designed service life of 10,000 hours. SLAP will determine the efforts necessary to extend the aircraft design life limits to meet CNO operational inventory requirements through FY 2035. The highest flight time MH-60S helicopters are expected to exceed the design life limit in 2024, at which time as many as 30 aircraft per year could be removed from flight status without a SLAP and follow-on SLEP directly impacting Combat Logistics, Surface Warfare (SUW), Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Support, Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM), and operational capabilities and capacity. MH-60 SLAP is comprised of two distinct assessments: Fatigue Life Assessment (FLA), which will establish the fatigue life of the aircraft and air vehicle systems and Subsystem Life Assessment (SLA), which will examine subsystems that are critical to safe operations and identify risk mitigation strategies for critical components. FLA consists of structural investigations of the cockpit beams, main gearbox beams/frames, upper deck, engine mount, lower tub, main landing gear, tail landing gear, cargo hook, transition splice and tie-down fittings/structure, tailcone, tail gearbox, intermediate gearbox, stabilator, manufactured joints/splices, and flight controls support structure. SLA will evaluate engines, rotor brake, hydraulic, flight controls, avionics components and infrastructure to identify over-and-above inspections, overhaul intervals or replacement schedules to fly beyond the current design limit assumption. Analysis will be further refined, augmented with aircraft, specific system and wiring teardowns, inspections, and tests; data analysis; and development of models and tools, producing results that will continue inform SLEP ECP development. Engineering for design/development will ramp for Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) for a phased SLEP solution. Additionally, a plan will be developed to convert the MH-60S Block 1 aircraft to Block 3B aircraft, extending the mission profile for these aircraft and ultimately providing the fleet with more flight hours. 9999: FY 2019 Congressional Add funds MH-60S analysis and development of the 401D engine; the procurement of MH-60 alignment, tail cone, and pylon fixtures to support SLAP analysis, development of engineering technical data, drawings/models and associated lists from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in support of SLAP deep look inspections. FY 2020 Congressional Add funds the continuation of aircraft historical regime and usage data assessment, airframe external loads analysis and fatigue analysis. Continue development of initial dispositions for safety critical items. JUSTIFICATION FOR BUDGET ACTIVITY: This program is funded under OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT because it includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2022
• Source ID: 0702207N_7_1319_PB_2022
• Change Summary Explanation: Cost: PU 3030: Decrease in FY22 to F/A-18E/F Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP) redirects $10.0 million of funding to F/A-18 Block III efforts in FY22 due to efficiencies and synergies gained from overlapping phases for structures and subsystem efforts. Additional decreases for $4.261 million to account for the availability of prior year execution balances, and an additional $5.047 million reduction for Rate/Misc adjustments. Technical: PU 3030: N/A PU 3182: Decrease from FY21 to FY22 accounts for reductions in contracting costs associated with the final year of execution for T-45 Structural Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP). Received $1.097M under execution mark due to a late contract award on the T-45 SLAP contract. PU 3384: Decrease of $8.165M since PB-21 in FY22 is due to timing of Fatigue Life Assessment (FLA) deliverables and SLAP analysis which resulted in refined cost estimates of initial SLEP ECP development efforts. Schedule: PU 3030: EA-18G schedule changes capitalize on lessons learned from the F/A-18E/F SLAP analysis. This includes efficiencies and synergies gained from overlapping phases, as well as actual time required to conduct each phase. Schedule changes reflect the following: Updated Post Flex Mode award from Q2FY20 to Q1FY20 Updated S/S Specs award from Q3FY20 to Q2FY20 Updated G SLAP Loads award from Q4FY20 to Q3FY20 Updated G SLAP MES Software Update to Q2FY22 Updated G SLAP MES Development Award from Q3FY21 to Q4FY20 Updated S/S Analyses award to Q4FY21 Added Post Flex Mode award in Q1FY22 Updated G SLAP Hot Spot Analysis award to Q4FY22 Updated beginning of EA-18G Structures Phase B from beginning Q1FY21 to Q1FY22 to align the contractor efforts of working E/F and G in parallel going forward. PU 3182: Schedule updated to include Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) Lot 3 deliveries in 2QFY26. PU 3384: Fatigue Life Assessment(FLA) end date changed from Q4FY24 to Q4FY22 to reflect completion of initial FLA activities. Subsystem Life Assessment end date changed from Q4FY19 to Q4FY20 to reflect time required to complete analysis. PU 9999: N/A
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircraft Design
• Aircraft Equipment
• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Cost Analysis
• Fatigue Tests (Mechanics)
• Landing Gear
• Logistics
• Logistics Support
• Maintenance
• Manufacturing
• Naval Operations
• Procurement
• Product Development
• Program Management
• Test And Evaluation
• Training Aircraft

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering