ORCHESTRATING SUSTAINMENT


as the number of nonstandard missions that Soldiers and Marines perform in the current threat environment.


Te TADSS suite being fielded includes individual training products for the sec- tion chief and various crew members, as well as crew-level products whereby laptops are linked together to provide a collective training capability with mul- tiple crew members operating a single virtual howitzer. Te PM is also fielding a classroom version of these products at specific Army and USMC locations.


All these products LOCK AND LOAD


Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (FAR), 173rd Airborne Brigade prepare an M119A3 howitzer for firing during the Exercise Shardana at Capo Teulada, Italy, conducted in October 2015. PM TAS continuously evaluates field artillery sustainment strategies to find the right balance to achieve operational availability. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Graigg Faggionato)


Te M777A2 has been in service since 2005, and recently workers at ANAD found several cracked cradles, a major structural


component fabricated from


thin-wall titanium, on howitzers under- going routine overhaul. While these particular howitzers had seen extensive use in Afghanistan, the entire fleet was at potential risk. In response, TACOM released a maintenance advisory message requiring all M777A2 cradles to have an external visual inspection, and the Marine Corps released a Naval message to the same effect. In addition to the external visual inspection, PM TAS conducted internal inspections of


the suspect areas using


endoscopic equipment, much like doctors use to perform internal examinations on patients, as this method can detect small stress indicators before they propagate into cracks. Under the PBLCS contract, BAE is also part of the team performing metallur- gical analysis, establishing condemnation


16 Army AL&T Magazine April-June 2016


criteria and developing repair options. All of this information is critical to developing the coordinated fleet-wide repair strategy, ensuring continued operational availabil- ity for the fleet.


TRAINING PRODUCTS As part of


training to Marines. PM TAS, initial fielding, PM TAS


provides operator and maintainer new equipment


Soldiers for Simulation, Training and in concert with


ARDEC and the Program Executive Office


Instrumentation (PEO STRI), oping and fielding a suite of


and


is devel- training


aids, devices, simulations and simulators (TADSS) for the M777A2 and M119A3 towed howitzers. Te purpose of these products is to provide operators and main- tainers tools to maintain their proficiency on their assigned platforms. Te impor- tance of TADSS products has increased with shrinking training budgets as well


are based on the


howitzers’ tactical software, providing a realistic experience to the user, and will be updated as the M777A2 and M119A3 DFCS


software is updated. With


ARDEC developing and maintaining the DFCS software and TADSS products, the government retains full rights for the update of products and can also use them to train Soldiers and Marines when new DFCS software is released.


CONCLUSION Te value of these approaches is reflected in the interest allied nations have expressed in joining the M777A2 sustainment con- tract. Australia and Canada have been actively monitoring


sustainment per-


formance as part of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2012. Te Navy International Programs Office has negoti- ated and is staffing a project arrangement that would allow allied participation under the PBLCS contract. Allied par- ticipation would save the United States a projected $1 million annually.


Tese approaches are not without obsta- cles as they have met resistance under the traditional Army budget and funding process. Te current Army funding pro- cess has sustainment funding flow through the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which


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