Thinking Inside the Box: Growing an Aviation Maintenance Solution for the Joint Force Fight

Abstract

The Department of Defense s (DOD) aviation maintenance structure is an inefficient and marginally effective relic of the Cold War. DOD and Army maintenance structures have implemented a patchwork series of reforms since the 1980s that have been partially applied, insufficiently integrated and marginally effective. Military aviation organic and support maintenance performance has slowly declined over the past twenty years. While various services continue to espouse a desire to increase joint operations and interoperability, the majority of changes within their respective aviation maintenance communities have been parochial. They optimize service unique portions of the maintenance system. Future budgetary and operational realities will demand that the services operate their expensive aviation operations more efficiently and effectively. Each service in the military creates its own maintenance requirements, contract specifications, and competes individually for all support services. Each service and agency suboptimizes their procurement, maintenance, overhaul and sustainment operations for their perceived needs. The result is a hodgepodge of organic as well as contract support organizations and procedures that is cumbersome and inefficient. Aviation maintenance should be integrated and consolidated in order to maximize overall systemic efficiency and effectiveness.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 15, 2006
Accession Number
ADA449426

Entities

People

  • Juan L. Arcocha

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Maintenance
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Business Administration
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Maintenance
  • Maintenance Management
  • Maintenance Personnel
  • Maintenance Requirements
  • Management Personnel
  • National Governments
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Procurement
  • Rotary Wing Aircraft
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Strategic Security Studies