F/A-18 Supportability Assurance Readiness Program

Prompted by rising operating and support costs, shrinking procurement budgets, and deteriorating levels of operational readiness, the U.S. Navy challenged the F/A-18 Hornet program to achieve a "New Look" in weapon system procurement. New high levels for reliability, maintainability, and operational readiness were specified, while establishing tight controls over Design-to-Cost and Life Cycle Cost for the program. Contractually binding guarantees for reliability and maintainability, along with substantial monetary incentives (totaling $39M), which McDonnell Aircraft (MCAIR) could earn for superior performance in each area, set the stage for this challenging effort. Recognizing that operational readiness was a far more complex issue than just equipment reliability and maintainability performance, the Navy established the Supportability Assurance Readiness Program (SARP) to evaluate all issues that can have an impact on readiness. Through use of detailed simulation models, the SARP analysis efforts were focused on planned F/A-18 operations one to two years into the future. Potential support system problem areas, with adverse readiness impacts, were identified and evaluated for required support system adjustments. Recommended support adjustments could then be acted on by MCAIR and the Navy in a timely manner to head-off future readiness problem areas. The paper highlights many of the early F/A-18 support system adjustments (made as a result of this process) and summarizes the results of the first two years of F/A-18 fleet operations from a readiness standpoint. A comparison of the F/A-18 to the aircraft it will replace (the F-4J and A-7E) is also included as an indication of the reduced maintenance requirements which will lead directly to lower operating and support costs for the Navy.