September 26, 2018 | International, Aerospace
By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is making changes to the way it sustains the B-1B Lancer bomber and C-5 Super Galaxy cargo plane, moving to a maintenance approach that will allow it to use data analytics to predict problems, the acting head of Air Force Materiel Command said.
Both the B-1 and C-5 fleets transitioned to a conditions-based maintenance model last month, Lt. Gen. Robert McMurry, commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, told Defense News in a Sept. 18 interview.
“Given the aging fleet situation that we have, we probably need to be using data better to take care of it — which is a drive toward what most everyone right now is saying is the right way to manage fleet sustainment, which is through condition-based maintenance and data analytics,” he said. “So we're trying to bring that on.”
The approach — which involves using algorithms to predict the need for repairs rather than waiting for a part to break — is a standard practice in the commercial airline industry to help reduce maintenance-related delays or cancellations, but has been less common in the Air Force.
AFMC determined it needed to make a greater push toward conditions-based maintenance as a result of servicewide reviews triggered by rising concerns about the number of aviation-related mishaps.
The first review, directed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, involved a one-day standdown that would give flying and maintenance units a chance to communicate potential safety concerns up the chain of command. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, then the head of AFMC, also directed the organizations under her command, like the Air Force Sustaiment Center, to evaluate its own data.
The reviews have since concluded, with the Air Force finding “two systems ... where high risk was accepted,” said McMurry, noting that “operational security does not allow us to identify them.”
“Our process is dealing with those responsibly,” he added.
The B-1 and C-5 were chosen as pilot programs for the conditions-based maintenance approach because they are sustained by airmen and have older, relatively small inventories, making for a more manageable data set.
But the planes have something else in common — a recent history of well-publicized mishaps. The C-5 has sustained a number of nose landing gear malfunctions that led to a standdown and maintenance assessment in 2017. But despite a fix being put in place, there have still been problems with the gear, such as a March 2018 event where one C-5 landed on its nose at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Meanwhile, the B-1 fleet was temporarily grounded in June after a safety investigation board found problems with ejection seat components while investigating a May 1 emergency landingwhere the ejection seats did not deploy.
November 6, 2023 | International, Land
A Ukrainian military brigade said on Monday 19 of its soldiers were killed last week in a Russian air strike that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as "a tragedy that could have been avoided".
November 18, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
November 16, 2020 - RUAG Simulation & Training has confirmed its capabilities for full remote monitoring and supervision support for Live training systems on behalf of a European customer. The comprehensive event specifically featured the inclusion of after-action review (AAR) reporting and analysis and was provided to full customer satisfaction. The remote supervision was supported from Switzerland and enabled the customer's scheduled training to proceed in keeping with pandemic guidelines. RUAG Simulation & Training supported army and police forces, deploying force-on-force and Mobile Combat Training Center (CTC) services featuring Gladiator Modular Tactical Engagement Training System. RUAG Simulation & Training's competency for full remote supervision, including data transfer necessary to AAR, was proven within the scope of laser-based force-on-force training exercises. The implementation of the remote protocols was a prerequisite to ensuring highest training fidelity despite COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Remote supervision offset the need for the standard on-site presence of two to four professional supervisors, assuring that international travel from Switzerland was avoided. The customer experienced a reliable and realistic training and a thorough and accurate AAR debriefing, all within their protected training-site environment. The scheduled training, featuring a special operations program, proceeded according to plan, with multiple units and their various specialisations included within the Live system. RUAG's Gladiator Supervision Equipment ensured the data transmitted from positioning and interaction sensors, from the various modules, components and participants comprised in the Mobile CTC Live system, was recorded and analysed for an effective AAR. This achievement strengthened collaboration in an ongoing series of comprehensive laser-based force-on-force trainings commissioned by the customer. The Training-as-a-Service approach included full rental of Gladiator Modular Tactical Engagement Training System components and local consultants for operational system checks and servicing. Together with the customer, the team from RUAG Simulation & Training defined system configuration and component needs to target highest training fidelity and performance accuracy within budget guidelines. RUAG Simulation & Training AG is a professional and trusted partner for Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) simulation & training solutions. Combining cutting-edge technology with an unparalleled depth of experience, RUAG develops affordable products tailored to training goals and designed for saving lives and protecting assets in the complex environment of today's and tomorrow's battlefields. Gladiator Modular Tactical Engagement Training Systems enable live conflict scenario simulations to proceed at the highest levels of fidelity. __________________________________________________________ RUAG MRO International is an independent supplier, support provider and integrator of systems and components for civil and military aviation worldwide. It also develops and supports simulation and training systems and solutions for international trained security forces. Highly specialized in the support of aircraft and helicopters throughout their entire life cycle, the company includes maintenance, repair and overhaul services, upgrades, and the development, manufacture and integration of subsystems and components in their service portfolio. In addition, as the manufacturer (OEM) of the Dornier 228, a versatile aircraft for special missions as well as passenger and cargo operations, RUAG International focuses on customer support solutions, including OEM services. Moreover, RUAG MRO International is a developer, OEM and system support provider for simulation and training systems technology for live, virtual and constructive (LVC) training. Complex and flexible functions, and a holistic approach, support realistic training scenarios, adapted to mission goals, at individual, team and unit instruction levels. View source version on RUAG : https://www.ruag.com/en/news/ruag-international-implements-full-remote-supervision-support-live-simulation-training-system
February 1, 2024 | International, Aerospace
The company partnered with Divergent Technologie. to design and build the 100% additive-manufactured Advanced Air-Launched Effects vehicle.