Filling H-60 Helicopter Readiness Shortfalls by Streamlining and Revising Depot Level Maintenance Procedures
Abstract
Recognizing the need to extend aircraft service lives, Naval Air Systems Command developed the Integrated Maintenance Concept (IMC). IMC was seen as an opportunity to integrate tasks over all levels of maintenance and balance the operational, engineering, and fiscal aspects of an aircraft's preventative maintenance program. But implementation of IMC has resulted in several unintended consequences, the most important of which is degraded readiness. Aircraft rebuild and in-process work that are required of squadron personnel interrupt maintenance at the squadrons, and the subsequent work stoppages interrupt flow at the Naval Air Depots. The result is wider variability in both processes, which increases inventory at the depot, increases squadron workloads, degrades operational availability by limiting aircraft inventory, and interrupts production at the squadron. The authors sought to answer the following questions: (1) Why do squadrons perform the preparation and rebuild? (2) Why does the squadron take so long to rebuild an aircraft? (3) Can the depot perform these functions faster and at what cost? and (4) Will having the depot perform these functions increase readiness? The authors sought to show that the depots can perform all functions of the H-60 IMP faster than sharing responsibilities with individual squadrons, and that operational readiness will be increased by the overall reduction of IMP cycle time. A simulation model was used to test the hypothesis that assigning organizational-level tasks to depot personnel would reduce variability in the process, and thereby decrease cycle times and depot work-in-process inventory. They conclude that implementing their project at a cost of $1.4 million per year would be equivalent to having six additional aircraft, which implies savings of between $36 million and $150 million. They also conclude that the squadron labor freed from working on depot aircraft should result in increased operational readiness levels.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA443519
Entities
People
- Douglas R. Sullivan
- Timothy M. Snowden
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School