Expeditionary Operations
Intermediate Engine Maintenance Alternatives
Published in: Air Force Journal of Logistics, v. 25, no. 1, Spring 2001, p. 31-36
Posted on RAND.org on January 01, 2001
This article reviews options for Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance (JEIM) structures for F100 engines on F-15 and F-16 aircraft and TF-34 engines on A-10 aircraft. The JEIM shop traditionally has been located with the unit it supports. Expeditionary requirements for quick deployment with minimal transportation raise the question of whether JEIM ought to be centralized. Increasing technical complexity of engines, potential gains from economies of scale, and changes in experience levels of technicians favor centralization. Working against centralization is the difficulty in transporting engines and the numerous time change technical orders that may be difficult to execute for engines not receiving immediate attention in a centralized structure. The authors' analysis indicates that for F100 engines some consolidation of support in a network of Forward Support Locations (FSLs) outside the United States would provide the best system performance. Complete centralization is possible for the TF-34 because of its low removal rates for maintenance.
Research conducted by
This report is part of the RAND Corporation External publication series. Many RAND studies are published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, as chapters in commercial books, or as documents published by other organizations.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.