Sensitivity of Army Helicopter Operating and Support Costs to Changes in Design and Logistic Parameters

Abstract

This study assesses Army helicopter O and S costs and Support Investment (SI) costs in order to assure that the degree of hardware design and logistic parameter sensitivity included in cost estimates accurately reflects actual expenditure sensitivities. Army O and S cost data sources, methodology, and approaches are examined, and selected cost improvements isolated and evaluated. Strengths of the current costing structure are noted so that they can be carried forward and improved upon to assure accurate representation of new systems to the DSARC. O and S data sources reviewed include reliability, maintainability, and field reported cost data. The present methodology and approaches for both Baseline (Program Manager's) Cost Estimates (BCE) and Independent Parametric Cost Estimates (IPCE) are assessed. The dominant O and S costs are found to be Manpower, Replenishment Spares, and Initial Spares. For Manpower and Initial Spares, simplified models are discussed which give OASD visibility into the critical sensitivities of Army helicopter O and S costs. Of the parameters examined for the selected helicopters, O and S costs are most sensitive to the Mean Time Between Dynamic Component Removals (MTBRDC). The report concludes with a discussion of bounding values of Army helicopter O and S cost that can be expected if extreme values of critical O and S cost driving parameters, including those assumed in the cost estimate's approach, are encountered in acutal practice.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1977
Accession Number
ADA040353

Entities

People

  • John D. Forster

Organizations

  • LMI

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Army Aircraft
  • Attack Helicopters
  • Business Administration
  • Cost Analysis
  • Cost Estimates
  • Databases
  • Department Of Defense
  • Logistics
  • Maintenance
  • Maintenance Management
  • Maintenance Personnel
  • Organizational Structure
  • Probability
  • Random Variables
  • Standards

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis