purchases for today that are going to [have an] effect 10 years from now. To me, that’s a change. That’s where you can actually start saving money.”
Configuration management also plays a role in efficiencies, Robinson said. “Now you’re able to understand what’s on that aircraft. As aircraft qualifications change and you replace a part with a new part, you’re actually able to take that [old part] off the supply chain,” reducing the quantity needed. “And you really start saving money.”
CBM can help the Army identify effi- ciencies across the fleet by showing where maintenance can be less intensive, Myles said. “This is about being smart,” he said, “making sure that we fully use the condition-based maintenance and other technical tools that are out there that allow us to manage this enterprise.”
BETTER METRICS The vast quantity of information now available to the Army on the condition of various components of its helicopter fleet, through onboard sensors and other tech- nology, poses challenges in and of itself, the panelists said.
“There’s more information known about these aircraft now than ever before because of
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
The high operations tempo in Afghanistan is accelerating wear and tear on Army aircraft. Here, PFC James Dennis, a Crew Chief assigned to Task Force Lobos, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, performs a torque check on the main rotor head of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Feb. 7 at Camp Marmal, Afghanistan. (Photo by SSG Joe Armas.)
what’s important enough to send, how to send it, the frequency—is it [in] real time, is it near-real time.”
“The Army is doing a fantastic job with sensors,” Smith said. Analysis of the data is a “very complex” equation, involving not only the raw information but also
“being able to connect that to a lot of other databases and being able to connect the dots and derive from that what you do with it” to benefit decision makers at both the tactical and strategic levels.
condition-based mainte-
nance,” Myles noted. “We’re measuring frequency, temperature, pressures of all the aircraft, the whole frame itself, to the point where you’ve got so much data that you’ve got to figure out how to manage it, how to prioritize it.”
“You have to have the right metrics,”
Smith said—indicators that can predict a problem, as opposed to reacting to it—in order to know where best to apply limited resources, and when. “Some tough calls are going to have to be made in respect to
Meanwhile, he said, “Technology is evolv- ing faster than our ability to use it. As a result, we’re playing catch-up all the time. Sensor technology is rapidly advanc- ing. Computer capacity, microprocessors are evolving so quickly. There’s now available to us just a wide array of tools, capabilities that can be used to help make our jobs better.” Industry has a vital role in helping the Army “try to figure out … how to get more bang for the buck,” Smith said.
CONCLUSION With the military drawing down and defense spending heading downward,
about the only certainty is uncertainty, panelists indicated.
“Industry is going to react to uncertainty by being cautious. So we know … we have to right-size the supply chain. But we are a little uncertain what that’s going to mean,” said John Cerreta, General Manager, Operations, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., one of the manufacturers that supplies CCAD.
“Now more than ever, we need that col- laboration to move forward, specifically with the Army,” he said. “If the depot is affected [by reduced spending], it would take time for industry to be able to step up … we built ourselves knowing Corpus Christi exists and will remain.
“Can it step up? Would it? Yes, it would. But I think we have to be a partner.”
MARGARET C. ROTH is the Senior Editor of Army AL&T Magazine. She holds a B.A. in Russian language and linguistics from the University of Virginia. Roth has more than a decade of experience in writing about the Army and more than two decades’ experience in journalism and public relations.
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CONFERENCE CALL
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