PRODUCT SUPPORT
mixed reality [MR] smart glasses) to allow deployed maintainers and home- and shore- based experts to share equipment condition, trou - bleshooting, and repair information from diverse loca - tions in real time. The Air Force’s A-10 program cited a 60 percent re - duction in engineering response time on nonstan -
aged its DES to conduct Core work - load estimating and trade analysis on mean time to repair and other pa - rameters. Digital twins serve as the “central nervous system” for Condi - tion-Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+), a concept in which maintenance is performed upon evidence of need at a time and place of the Warfighter’s choosing. Depot maintenance and lo - cal manufacturing activities leverage CAD models and model-based work instructions (MBWI) for efficient pro - duction, including the CVN-78 Ford Class carriers’ use of digital work instructions. The B-1 bomber, F-16 fighter, H-60 helicopter, and M113 armored personnel carrier have all been scanned to create digital twins or digital mockups to inform major maintenance activities since original technical data packages were not pro - cured or proved insufficient. Packaging, handling, storage, and transportation. CAD models in - form specialized container design. System models and CAD models have the capability to inform more optimized load planning for air and sealift. The Navy uses legacy ship point cloud models to map routes to transport heavy or bulky equipment on and off ships efficiently for instal - lations and repairs. Technical data. The Technical Data Package (models, drawings, lists, and software documentation) is efficiently managed within the ASoT using a Product Life Cycle Manage - ment (PLM) capability within the DEE. Field-level maintenance manuals, in - cluding S1000D interactive electronic technical manuals and depot MBWI, may include interactive, rotatable, “explodable” models to guide more efficient maintenance actions. They are updated efficiently from the ASoT with limited or no need for traditional “black line art” and manual data transposition across systems. Support equipment. Support Equipment Recommendation Data, particularly for peculiar support equipment (not currently in the in -
dard repairs and technical as - sistance using models. Several Air Force programs employ Digital Twin technologies to map, track, and trend corrosion and structural defects across their fleets, informing decisions on corrosion control and prevention, service life extensions, and structural modifications. Supply support. Spares modeling (determining the range and depth of spares needed) has long been in - formed by mathematical models such as readiness-based sparing. Programs can now submit model-based provi - sioning data, including 3D Portable Document Formats (PDFs), for Engi - neering Data for Provisioning to the Defense Logistics Agency, allowing more efficient cataloging. Supply chain risk management is improved through supply chain modeling, il - lumination, and analysis to assess risk and identify mitigations. CAD models enable more effective reso - lution of diminishing manufactur - ing sources and material shortages issues and obsolescence, including alternate part sourcing and the use of advanced and additive manufac - turing. Digital programs have greater integration of their bills of material, reducing gaps and disconnects be - tween engineering, manufacturing, and in-service support. Maintenance planning and man- agement. The FLRAA program lever -
Engine Replacement Program virtual prototype, and their feedback led to a redesign of service panel hinges to improve access. The Air Force’s col - laborative combat aircraft program reportedly also is using virtual mod - els to ensure ease of access and mini - mal maintenance burden. Digital systems engineering tech - nical reviews can leverage OEM-pro - duced “fly-through” visualizations of CAD designs with color coded sub - systems (e.g., fuel, hydraulic, electri - cal, etc.) and zoom in on key design parameters and features for efficient review. In an Air and Space Forces arti - cle, Gen. Duke Richardson, while head of Air Force Materiel Command, de - clared the end of “cataclysmic 3-day critical design review events” at a ta - ble with drawings in favor of iterative reviews of models. The F-35 program reported that model-based, incre - mental, live, self-paced reviews led to better design questions. Sustaining engineering. Navy ship programs are using model-based technical assistance, including tele - maintenance, to advise forward-de - ployed maintainers on nonstandard repairs, realizing a 92 percent time savings over traditional methods. The U.S. Marine Corps’ telemaintenance includes use of “wearables” (e.g.,
30 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | JANUARY FEBRUARY 2026 –
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker