Complex automatic test system refurbishment — a case study of more affordable & sustainable testing for nose radomes

Cost effective modernization for existing, obsolescent test equipment is important to ensure that front line combat aircraft are supplied with parts that perform within specifications. One example of complex testing is for nose radomes for fighter aircraft. These radome testers provide the final sell off performance check of recently repaired or overhauled radomes before they are shipped to flying squadrons. One of the Air Force's pressing needs in this area is improving maintenance and repair supportability of their older, highly complex testers for the remaining aircraft life. One approach is to refurbish the existing testers by replacing the low reliability and the non sustainable tester subsystems and components. This requires a thorough knowledge of the existing systems. If this knowledge is available, then refurbishment approach can be a time and cost effective option. Discussion of a specific working example of refurbishing a nose radome automated test system is presented. The overall results of this approach promise faster, more accurate, reliable, cost effective, modernized and sustainable automatic test equipment for the customer, with improved diagnostic information for the repair technicians, and much shorter cycle testing times, effectively increasing testing capacity.