This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces Analysis of Maintenance Forward Support Location Operations Amanda Geller, David George, Robert S. Tripp, Mahyar A. Amouzegar, C. Robert Roll, Jr. Prepared for the United States Air Force Approved for public release, distribution unlimited The research reported here was sponsored by the United States Air Force under contract F49642-01-C-0003. Further information may be obtained from the Strategic Planning Division, Directorate of Plans, Hq USAF. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Supporting air and space expeditionary forces : analysis of maintenance forward support location operations / Amanda Geller ... [et al.]. p. cm. “MG-151.” Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8330-3572-X (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. United States. Air Force—Supplies and stores. 2. Airplanes, Military—United States—Maintenance and repair. 3. United States. Air Force—Facilities. 4. United States. Air Force—Foreign service. I. Geller, Amanda. UG1123.D87 2004 358.4'183—dc22 2004007916 Cover and interior photos courtesy of Major Ray Lindsay, 48 Component Maintenance Squadron Commander, USAF. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. R ® is a registered trademark. © Copyright 2004 RAND Corporation All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from RAND. Published 2004 by the RAND Corporation 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA 22202-5050 201 North Craig Street, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-1516 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org/ To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451-7002; Fax: (310) 451-6915; Email: [email protected] Preface During the past six years, the RAND Corporation has studied op- tions for configuring an Agile Combat Support (ACS) system that would enable the Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) goals of rapid deployment, immediate employment, and uninterrupted sus- tainment from a force structure located primarily within the conti- nental United States (CONUS). This report is one of a series that addresses ACS options; it discusses the conceptual development and recent implementation of maintenance forward support locations (FSLs, also known as Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities [CIRFs]) for the United States Air Force. The analysis focuses on the years leading up to and including the Air Force CIRF test, which tested the operations of centralized intermediate repair facilities in the European theater from September 2001 to February 2002. The research reported here was sponsored by the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics (AF/IL) and conducted in the Resource Management Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE. The analysis was completed in June 2002. This report should be of interest to logisticians, operators, and mobility planners throughout the Department of Defense (DoD), especially those in the Air Force. Other publications in the series in- clude: • Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: An Integrated Strategic Agile Combat Support Planning Framework, Robert S. Tripp et al. (MR-1056-AF). This report describes an integrated combat iv Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces support planning framework that may be used to evaluate sup- port options on a continuing basis, particularly as technology, force structure, and threats change. • Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: New Agile Combat Support Postures, Lionel Galway et al. (MR-1075-AF). This re- port describes how alternative resourcing of forward operating locations (FOLs) can support employment timelines for future AEF operations. It finds that rapid employment for combat re- quires some prepositioning of resources at FOLs. • Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: An Analysis of F-15 Avionics Options, Eric Peltz et al. (MR-1174-AF). This report examines alternatives for meeting F-15 avionics maintenance re- quirements across a range of likely scenarios. The authors evalu- ate investments for new F-15 Avionics Intermediate Shop test equipment against several support options, including deploying maintenance capabilities with units, performing maintenance at FSLs, or performing all maintenance at the home station for de- ploying units. • Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: A Concept for Evolving to the Agile Combat Support/Mobility System of the Future, Robert S. Tripp et al. (MR-1179-AF). This report describes the vision for the ACS system of the future based on individual commod- ity study results. • Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: Expanded Analysis of LANTIRN Options, Amatzia Feinberg et al. (MR-1225-AF). This report examines alternatives for meeting Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) sup- port requirements for AEF operations. The authors evaluate in- vestments for new LANTIRN test equipment against several support options, including deploying maintenance capabilities with units, performing maintenance at FSLs, or performing all maintenance at CONUS support hubs for deploying units. • Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: Lessons From the Air War Over Serbia, Amatzia Feinberg et al. (MR-1263-AF). This report describes how the Air Force’s ad hoc implementation of many elements of an expeditionary ACS structure to support the Preface v air war over Serbia offered opportunities to assess how well these elements actually supported combat operations and what the re- sults imply for the configuration of the Air Force ACS structure. The findings support the efficacy of the emerging expeditionary ACS structural framework and the associated but still-evolving Air Force support strategies. (This report is not releasable to the general public.) (cid:127) Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: Alternatives for Jet En- gine Intermediate Maintenance, Mahyar A. Amouzegar et al. (MR-1431-AF). This report evaluates the manner in which Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance (JEIM) shops can best be configured to facilitate overseas deployments. The authors ex- amine a number of JEIM support options, which are distin- guished primarily by the degree to which JEIM support is cen- tralized or decentralized. (cid:127) Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: A Combat Support Command and Control Architecture for Supporting the Expedition- ary Aerospace Force, James Leftwich et al. (MR-1536-AF). This report outlines the framework for evaluating options for combat support execution planning and control. The analysis describes the combat support command and control operational architec- ture as it is now and as it should be in the future. It also de- scribes the changes that must take place to achieve that future state. (cid:127) Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: Reconfiguring Footprint to Speed Expeditionary Aerospace Forces Deployment, Lionel A. Galway et al. (MR-1625-AF). This report develops an analysis framework-–footprint configuration—to assist in devising and evaluating strategies for footprint reduction. The authors at- tempt to define footprint and to establish a way to monitor its reduction. vi Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces RAND Project AIR FORCE RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF), a division of the RAND Corpo- ration, is the U.S. Air Force’s federally funded research and develop- ment center for studies and analyses. PAF provides the Air Force with independent analyses of policy alternatives affecting the development, employment, combat readiness, and support of current and future aerospace forces. Research is performed in four programs: Aerospace Force Development; Manpower, Personnel, and Training; Resource Management; and Strategy and Doctrine. Additional information about PAF is available on our web site at http://www.rand.org/paf. Contents Preface......................................................................iii Figures......................................................................xi Tables......................................................................xiii Summary....................................................................xv Acknowledgments.........................................................xix Acronyms..................................................................xxi CHAPTER ONE Introduction.................................................................1 Creation of the Air and Space Expeditionary Force.........................2 Two Operating Concepts for Intermediate Maintenance...................3 Intermediate-Maintenance Strategies During and After the Cold War.....5 RAND’s Concept of Agile Combat Support................................6 The Air Force’s Active Involvement in CIRF Operations.................10 Realizing the Vision of a Global ACS System.............................11 Organization of This Report...............................................11 CHAPTER TWO CIRF History..............................................................13 Shifts in Maintenance Policy in the Early Days of the Air Force..........15 Developments During the Korean War: Rear-Echelon Maintenance Combined Operations ..............................................17 Maintenance Developments After the Korean War.......................19 Project Pacer Sort.......................................................21 Post-Vietnam Activity ..................................................22 vii viii Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces A Growing Interest in Centralized Intermediate Maintenance in the 1970s.............................................................23 USAFE CIRF Test......................................................25 Maintenance Posture Improvement Program Test.....................25 SAC CIRF Test.........................................................26 RAND’s CIRF Studies in the 1970s....................................27 WINTEX 77............................................................27 USAFE Study...........................................................28 CIRF Uses in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm....................29 CHAPTER THREE Centralized Maintenance and the AEF Concept.........................33 Expeditionary Combat Support ...........................................33 Maintenance FSL Options by Commodity................................36 F-15 Avionics...........................................................37 LANTIRN Pods........................................................39 Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance..................................42 Summary: Commodity Studies.........................................44 Location Selection for Maintenance FSLs.................................45 Forward Support Locations in the Air War Over Serbia..................46 Footprint Configuration Analysis..........................................48 C2 Analysis ................................................................49 Summary: Maintenance FSLs and the AEF ...............................52 CHAPTER FOUR Maintenance FSL Operations: The CIRF Test...........................53 Background................................................................53 CIRF Test Plan............................................................56 Results......................................................................60 Operational Achievements..............................................60 C2 Achievements .......................................................62 Challenges Faced........................................................63 Conclusion: CIRF Test Planning and Results..........................67 Contents ix CHAPTER FIVE CIRF Support Tradespace Development.................................69 Methodology: Simulation Modeling.......................................69 Scenarios...................................................................71 F100-100 Engine.......................................................71 ALQ-131 ECM Pod....................................................72 Repair Assumptions: CIRF Operations....................................73 Results: F100-100 Engine.................................................74 Results: ALQ-131 ECM Pod..............................................77 Conclusions from Tradespace Development..............................80 CHAPTER SIX Conclusions and Recommendations: Further ACS Implementation....83 Centralized Repair in Today’s Operating Environment...................83 Further Development of ACS Concepts...................................84 CONUS CIRFs.........................................................84 C2 Network.............................................................85 Distribution.............................................................87 Centralized Ownership.................................................88 Structural Considerations in CIRF Planning..............................90 Recommendations.........................................................91 APPENDIX: Centralized Ownership Analysis...............................93 Bibliography ..............................................................111