An analysis of the Joint Strike Fighter autonomic logistics system

Abstract

Traditionally in the Navy/Marine Corps, in an effort to be proactive and prevent failures, maintenance and inspections are performed at fixed intervals independent of aircraft status. The current preventive maintenance strategy services and replaces certain components on a predetermined schedule. Additionally, the current Navy/Marine Corps aircraft repair process is reactive. When failures occur, the logistics system - maintenance and supply - respond. The Joint Strike Fighter Autonomic Logistics System (ALS) is proposed to be better than the logistics system in place. Under the ALS maintenance is performed only as needed. The idea is to decrease the logistics infrastructure and simultaneously improve logistic performance, by performing maintenance only as needed. Additionally, parts are ordered 'autonomously' without human intervention. The logistics system prepares for an impending failure. In this thesis simulations are developed to compare the traditional repair system and the ALS. An analysis is conducted to show differences in performance in respect to aircraft availability, failures per mission, and maintenance-man-hour-per-flight-hour. The ALS maintenance model dominated traditional maintenance under the study assumptions.