Does Computer Based Training Impact Maintenance Costs and Actions? An Empirical Analysis of the U.S. Navys AN/SQQ-89(v) Sonar System

Abstract

Traditional training for Navy technicians is labor intensive, removes skilled sailors from the fleet, requires capital infrastructure, and may require more time than alternative means of acquiring knowledge. The U.S. Navy decided in the early 2000s to replace traditional, instructor-led schoolhouse training with Computer Based Training (CBT). Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBT failed to sufficiently prepare new sailors for on board maintenance and operations. To determine the validity of this claim, we examine data for the AN/SQQ-89(v) sonar. We analyze whether the U.S. Navy’s introduction of CBT significantly affected fleet maintenance costs, actions, and training requirements. Preliminary results suggest that CBT adversely impacts costs, actions, and maintenance hours for the sonar system, suggesting that the reduction in training costs experienced with the use of CBT may have been transferred to fleet operations costs, supporting the anecdotal evidence.