Army Aviation's Unrealized Potential
Abstract
Readiness is the number one priority of the US Army, but cost increases and budgetary turbulence make that goal more difficult each passing year. Army Aviation, the service's most expensive branch, will spend over three times as much maintaining its current aircraft as it cost to purchase them. With an increased budget unlikely, but increased mission complexity certain, the primary means to achieve readiness in Army Aviation is reducing the cost of operating and maintaining its fleet. Other aviation organizations, in and out of the Department of Defense, addressed similar challenges successfully by continually refining maintenance processes to a degree that the Army has not. This study examines multiple such cases to determine whether significant gains for an existing aircraft fleet are possible. Next evaluated is the potential for Army Aviation's current equipment and practices to benefit from such revisions. The resulting answer is that unrealized maintenance efficiency exists in the aviation force today and may represent the best path toward the readiness demanded by current and future Army missions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1070987
Entities
People
- James R. Carroll
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies