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 is 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. This effort is required to be conducted for these airframes and subsystems to ascertain what actions and modifications must be taken to safely operate each system beyond its designed life until the targeted end of service life. 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 2040. 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. 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, 2024
• Source ID: 0702207N_7_1319_PB_2024
• Change Summary Explanation: Cost: PU 3030: The FY2024 funding request was decreased by $10.000 million for F/A-18E/F technical correction to align funding to Block III Electronic Warfare (EW) capability and by $2.248 million for miscellaneous adjustments. PU 3182: FY2024 funding decreased by $0.6M to account for miscellaneous adjustments. PU 3384: FY2024 funding decreased by $0.829M due to miscellaneous adjustments. Technical: PU 3030: Not Applicable PU 3182: Not applicable PU 3384: Not applicable Schedule: PU 3030: Revised schedule to allow for agile execution of F/A-18E/F and EA-18G SLAP efforts. PU 3182: Not applicable PU 3384: Not applicable
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircraft Design
• Aircraft Equipment
• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Contracts
• Cost Analysis
• Data Analysis
• Engine Mounts
• Engineering
• Fatigue Life
• Fatigue Tests (Mechanics)
• Landing Gear
• Manufacturing
• Naval Operations
• Product Development
• Test And Evaluation
• Training Aircraft

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering