Estimating Aircraft Recoverable Spares Requirements with Cannibalization of Designated Items

To estimate requirements for primary operating stocks (POS) of aircraft recoverable spare parts, the Air Force has not, as a matter of policy, assumed that parts shortages can be consolidated among aircraft (cannibalized). It has, however, assumed perfect consolidation of shortages in its computation of war readiness spares requirements, designating which parts are relatively easy to cannibalize and which are not. The research described in this report shows that a policy of designated cannibalization in estimating POS requirements is cost-effective. The authors present a computational model that incorporates designated cannibalization, determining the probability of meeting a specified aircraft availability goal with a specified confidence. They conclude that a designated cannibalization policy for POS can reduce safety stock requirements while maintaining traditional levels of system performance.