US Army Reliability Initiatives-In Concert with Air Force R&M 2000

This paper describes how the US Army is improving readiness through enhanced reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM). The Army is serious about supplying its personnel with the kind of equipment that stays on line. The US Army Materiel Command is taking aggressive steps to ensure that systems achieve their RAM requirements. Too often the Army has been accused of settling for minimum performance. As is well known, industry is reactive; it responds to pressure to improve what the customer thinks is important. An important step to getting higher levels of reliability and maintainability is to stand together with the Air Force and Navy customers and demand that RAM design and manufacturing disciplines are carried out and contractual RAM requirements are achieved. The achievement of requirements must be accomplished during system development and fielding. Improved RAM results in improved productivity, user satisfaction, and lower operating and support (O&S) costs. Linking R&M initiatives with O&S cost is an important step in justifying the up-front design and manufacturing disciplines that improve field performance. Meeting RAM requirements is the beginning and not the end of Army reliability efforts. Continued efforts to improve RAM are the thrust. For each system, the Army strives for continued improvement. Increased reliability reduces O&S costs while improving fielded mission accomplishment. Contractors will continue their efforts to improve production quality and to eliminate systemic causes of field failures.