IMPACT OF M777 HOWITZER USAGE ON UNSCHEDULED MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
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Authors
Klemin, Trevor
Subjects
M777
howitzer
maintenance
unscheduled
unscheduled maintenance
reliability
repairable
usage data
reliability of repairable systems
mean cumulative function
howitzer
maintenance
unscheduled
unscheduled maintenance
reliability
repairable
usage data
reliability of repairable systems
mean cumulative function
Advisors
Koyak, Robert A.
Date of Issue
2023-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Howitzers are essential to combined arms warfare since they allow commanders to engage enemy targets from greater distances while sending projectiles on high-angle trajectories over friendly forces and terrain features. The M777A2 howitzer is used by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps for frontline operations where untimely failures can have immediate consequences. To safeguard against such failures, testing is performed to establish predictable maintenance requirements that can be synchronized with operations’ planning. Unfortunately, random component failures still burden these weapons with surprise losses to combat effectiveness. To improve predictable maintenance requirements, we analyze maintenance records from six M777A2 howitzers during a six-year period to determine if component failures and repair costs are correlated with howitzer usage. The maintenance data comes from the Army Global Combat Support System (G-Army). The usage data comes from DA Form 2408-4 gun cards, which are maintained by the crew of each howitzer. We use a nonparametric technique to evaluate the frequency of component failures and the changes in repair costs relative to usage. We failed to find a relationship between usage and component failures, but we did associate repair costs with usage increases where sharp rises occur around 750 and 1,250 cumulative rounds fired.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Operations Research (OR)
Organization
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NPS Report Number
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Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.