F/A-18 Foreign Military Sales In-Service Support: Supporting FMS Aviation Systems Through Partnerships

DISAM Journal, Summer, 2000 by Patricia J. Chamberlain

The U.S. Navy is committed to providing full life cycle logistics and engineering support to all weapon systems procured through foreign military sales (FMS). To ensure that post-production logistics and engineering support will be available for out-of-production F/A-18 FMS customers, the F/A-1 8 in-service support (ISS) program was established. The ISS program was activated in 1991 to provide out-of-production F/A-18 FMS customers access to U.S. Navy and commercial resources. Initially designed to provide a means for obtaining commercial support, the ISS program has become an efficient forum that enables FMS customers to address their problems with the U.S. Navy and the prime contractor, The Boeing Company, on a day-to-day basis. The ISS program currently provides post-production support to all F/A-18 A/B/C/D model aircraft. The ISS team is made up of participants from the U.S. Navy, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Spanish Air Force, the Kuwait Air Force, the Swiss Air Force, the Ro yal Malaysian Air Force, and the Finnish Air Force.

Over the past nine years, the F/A-18 ISS program has evolved into much more than a contract vehicle for FMS customers to obtain information from the prime contractor. As a result of a developing partnership between all F/A-18 users, the ISS program has emerged into a highly productive, cost effective avenue for FMS customers to open dialogue and solve technical problems; to air and resolve grievances involving the FMS system; and to contribute individual expertise in support of the F/A-18 aircraft. The F/A-18 ISS program is organized and chartered under the authority of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), under the management and administration of the AIR-3.0 competency. The ISS program was created to operate in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, and works hand-in-hand with the integrated product teams (IPTs) of the Program Executive Office, Tactical Aircraft Programs (PMA265).

Acquisition

In the initial acquisition phase of an FMS program, the U.S. Navy logistics community concentrates on provisioning and laying-in a baseline of integrated logistics support (ILS) to support the flying hour program and maintenance philosophy outlined in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). Generally, the FMS customer is offered the capability and technical documentation to fully operate and maintain the F/A-18 at the organizational, intermediate, and selected depot levels of maintenance. A country specific ILS package is prepared for each aircraft acquisition program. The tailoring of an FMS country's ILS package is an integral part of the initial production contract. As the production of the first aircraft is completed and delivered, the FMS aircraft program begins to enter the in-service support phase of its life cycle.

In Service Support

During the in-service support phase, the focus of aircraft support generally converts to more routine ILS issues. Since the U.S. Navy is committed to keeping all FMS aircraft supportable throughout their projected life cycle, the F/A-18 community established additional means to keep the fleet modern and operationally viable, while continuing to develop ways to reduce maintenance costs and overcome the normal obsolescence of components and subsystems. That effort is known as the F/A-18 sustaining logistics and engineering (SL/E) program. The F/A-18 ISS program has become the method which enables the F/A-18 FMS communities to share in and obtain SL/E, and to provide FMS customers with access to the U.S. Navy and the prime contractor for long term support to the F/A-18 weapon system.

The purpose of aircraft ISS programs is to improve or enhance an aircraft weapon system through the betterment of aircraft maintainability, reliability, and serviceability. In addition, aircraft program managers must continuously provide solutions to a variety of aircraft technical issues caused by routine operations and maturing aircraft. ISS activity often culminates in the development of an engineering change proposal (ECP). The integration of ECPs ensures that the aircraft custodian remains up-to-date throughout its operational life cycle. The ISS activities that provide for the continuing development of engineering and logistics solutions throughout the aircraft life cycle are essential to the operational viability the overall F/A-18 fleet.

Improving aircraft supportability and resolving component issues are prime products of the F/A-18 ISS program. Routine ISS activity is intended to make the aircraft less complicated to maintain, more reliable, and in general, easier to service and support. The F/A-18 ISS program also provides a method to develop solutions to problems which occur during the normal life cycle of any highly technical system. Thus, the ISS program provides enhancements to the supportability of the F/A-18 through the development of components created through improved technology, or as solutions to component/parts breakage or obsolescence.