Design for Maintainability and Sustainability and 21st Century Air Systems: The Case of the CH-53K

03/06/2016
2016-03-03 By Robbin Laird A key argument for buying newer platforms compared to older ones is the savings built into a new platform over the operational and logistics costs of the older platform. In the commercial airplane business, both Boeing and Airbus design and build their newest platforms with significant…

Maintainers at Red Flag 16-1: Providing the Infrastructure for Combat Effectiveness

02/12/2016
2016-02-12 by Senior Airman Alex Fox Echols III It is a given that no aircraft leaves the ground unless it is working properly.  But that challenge is multiplied here during the three-week Red Flag 16-1 exercise. Hundreds of aircraft maintainers assigned to flying squadrons from around the world work long hours…

U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command: Meeting the Demand from U.S. and Allied Sea Services

02/04/2016
By Robbin Laird, Ed Timperlake and Murielle Delaporte U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) stands as the base of the Navy sea pyramid, providing the foundation and services that enable the warfighting ship to operate at and from the sea. Yet when it comes to the struggle for resources, the…

Military Sealift Command’s Tanker Fleet: Sea Services Con-Ops Drives Up Demand

01/20/2016
2016-01-19 By Robbin Laird, Ed Timperlake, and Murielle Delaporte The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command operates the logistical foundation for the U.S. sea services and provides key support to allies as well. The fleet is being modernized but is facing the challenge of supporting the evolving concepts of operations of the…

A Very Capable Multi-Mission Support Ship in the MSC Fleet: Demand Drives Operational Diversity for the T-AKE Ship

01/19/2016
2016-01-19 By Robbin Laird, Ed Timperlake, and Murielle Delaporte We have visited the T-AKE ship before, and have been impressed with the ship, particularly what it can deliver for around $400 million. The final two ships were funded at $825 million which would make the per ship cost around 412…