Alternative repair support methods

Material support for new electronic systems has traditionally been a mixture of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and organic (Navy industrial/depot) repair support. The Seawolf program office decided to rely primarily on OEM support for Contractor Furnished Equipment (CFE) for the life of the system, and not develop organic capabilities unless tangible cost or mission benefits resulted. This is very similar to the type of support that might be used for a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) system. Iterative review and management of repair sources and repairability issues, including material obsolescence, is required to ensure continuing, viable, and cost effective material readiness. An Integrated Process Team (IPT) structure was identified to recommend, prioritize, and implement material support strategies. Support decisions will be monitored and continuously re-evaluated to enable response to changes in the environment. This paper describes the goals that were used in CFE electronics maintenance planning, the approach used to develop maintenance recommendations, and the repair decision process. It concludes with a discussion of support options that may be applied in the future to accommodate changes that can be expected as the support environment evolves.