Indian Defence Review

Boeing's C-17 Globemaster

The services and support market is a significant growth area for India and the company is working with the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy to provide training and support of Boeing platforms such as the P-8I maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft and C-17 Globemaster III airlifter and the Head of State aircraft.

Boeing is supporting the IAF’s C-17 Globemaster III fleet through the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract. The C-17 GISP “virtual fleet” arrangement ensures mission readiness by providing all C-17 customers access to an extensive support network for worldwide parts availability and economies of scale, making the C-17 more affordable to own and operate. The C-17 GISP is a system-level partnership with the U.S. Air Force, where the customer pays for readiness, rather than specific parts or services.

Boeing supports India’s P-8I fleet by providing spares, ground support equipment and field service representative support. Boeing’s integrated logistics support enables the highest state of fleet readiness at the lowest possible cost and has demonstrated reduced ownership costs and decreased cost per flight hour over multiple platforms. More than 7,000 Boeing 737s are in active service all over the globe enabling all derivative aircraft, including the P-8A Poseidon, to benefit from this uncommon economy of scale for sustainment and support needs. By leveraging unique “One Boeing” capabilities, GS&S is deploying a sustainment solution for P-8I that draws on synergies from Commercial Airplane Services, including its subsidiary, Aviall, while leveraging the economy of scale unique to commercial derivative aircraft, specifically the 737, the world’s most prolific commercial aircraft, in service and in production.

Boeing brings immense buying power and economy of scale to the P-8 supply network that aims to increase readiness and mission capability while reducing costs per flight hour. Boeing understands the fiscal challenges confronting the Indian Navy and is committed to helping fill gaps and leverage our decades of platform expertise to maximize sustainment efficiencies. Boeing is investing in P-8 global support capabilities including spares, modeling and simulation forecasting, operations center support, engineering services and site activation stand-up.

Boeing's P-8I for Indian Navy

Initial qualification training of Indian Air Force C-17 crews was conducted by the U.S. Air Force at Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina.. A total of 100 Indian Air Force airmen received instruction from the 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 5 on how to operate India’s C-17 Globemaster IIIs. The training included classroom time as well as simulator training. The first class graduated in November 2012.

Boeing offers fully integrated training systems for C-17 aircrews (pilots and loadmasters) and maintenance engine run technicians. Boeing currently provides C-17 training for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the United Kingdom, maintaining weapon system concurrency of all training devices and courseware, and all of the initial and recurring training. The Boeing C-17 International Training Centre (ITC) in the United Kingdom is available to meet the growing training needs of air and ground crews around the world.

Initial P-8I training for Indian Navy pilots, mission system operators and maintenance technicians that will operate and maintain P-8I aircraft concluded in Seattle last year. The program included a combination of flight, classroom and lab training as well as real-world simulation experiences that can reduce total ownership costs.  Between February and September of 2013, Boeing trained more than 110 Indian Navy professionals, including five pilot crews, five mission crews and a number of flight signalers and observers.

As the original equipment manufacturer, Boeing is uniquely positioned to provide training devices that most accurately simulate P-8 aircraft and mission systems and stay current with aircraft configuration. Boeing’s training provides a full range of equipment, software, courseware, personnel and logistics. Boeing is currently providing P-8 aircrew and mission crew simulators for the U.S. Navy. The benefits of these simulator-based training include a reduced number of training flights, lower cost of operation (less fuel and maintenance required for live aircraft), and reduced use of limited aircraft. Training provides high level of crew readiness and proficiency for multiple mission profiles.

Boeing anticipates other training opportunities for aircrew and maintenance courseware development for platforms such as the AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook, opportunities which being pursued. Boeing been providing simulation based training solutions to the U.S. Army and several other international customers operating the AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

The Global Services & Support (GS&S) division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security supports both military and commercial products and services, having established itself as the U.S. Department of Defense’s largest performance based logistics contractor. The division is also a provider of sustainment solutions for Boeing and select non-Boeing platforms in addition to providing logistics command and control and training systems.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, GS&S is comprised of three divisions: Integrated Logistics; Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades; and Training Systems and Government Services. Combined, these organizations provide focused logistics and services to meet the current and future needs of Boeing’s customers around the world.

Integrated Logistics:

The Integrated Logistics division of Boeing Global Services & Support offers coordinated logistics services that address the life cycle of aircraft and weapon systems. Online, real-time, integrated information systems provide reliability and demand forecasting, total asset visibility, maintenance information and field data to improve aircraft availability and reduce costs. This approach offers a single point of accountability during the service life of a product. As a result, mission effectiveness and readiness are improved while the total cost of ownership is reduced. Integrated Logistics programs provide a full spectrum of fleet support to such aircraft as P-8, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, AV-8B, V-22-Osprey, and F/A-18.

Maintenance, Modification and Upgrades:

The Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades division operates at centers strategically located throughout the United States, providing high-quality, rapid and affordable aircraft services for military customers. One of these centers is colocated with an active Air Force base, while the others are housed at former military installations.

Boeing AH-64D Apache

The Boeing philosophy is to work in close partnership with existing military depots, providing complementary capabilities for the nation’s support infrastructure. In addition, Boeing partners with indigenous suppliers in-country to establish these capabilities. Maintenance, modification, and upgrade services include the following elements and are applied to aircraft of all types, including tactical fighters, transports, support aircraft, and rotor-craft:

• Modification engineering
• Fleet support
• Component and structural upgrades
• Depot- and intermediate-level maintenance
• Corrosion control
• Additional services specific to each aircraft type

Training Systems and Government Services:

The Training Systems and Government Services (TSGS) division provides domestic and international customers with a full range of training capabilities, in addition to logistics and asset management solutions. TSGS designs and develops more than 350 trainers for 24 aircraft platforms using the latest technologies to ensure students have relevant and realistic learning experiences. Boeing provides a full range of training capabilities and customer-focused solutions to directly enable mission readiness including:

• Aircrew and maintenance training devices
• Mission planning systems
• Fully integrated training systems
• Training management services
• Classroom instruction, courseware and logistics support
• Infrastructure and range services
• Logistics Information Management System

Chinook Through Life Customer Support Program in the UK

The Chinook TLCS programme provides heavy maintenance, engineering technical support, supply chain management including spares forecasting and procurement, aircraft and component repairs, modification services and publications management for the UK’s fleet of 46 Mk2/2A/3 Chinook helicopters.

In October 2007, Boeing assumed full supply chain responsibility for the UK Chinooks  and, in cooperation with the MOD, has considerably increased the availability of the current fleet  whilst simultaneously incorporating numerous fleet-wide capability upgrades and aircraft repairs.

Boeing's Chinook

Work on the TLCS programme is conducted in four UK locations: Vector Fleetlands, Vector Almondbank, RAF Odiham air base, and RNAS Yeovilton, and provides depot maintenance and logistical parts support on-site.  A Contractor-On-Deployed-Operations (CONDO) maintenance and technical support team has been deployed to Afghanistan since March 2009 and this has also improved aircraft availability at the front-line through reductions in maintenance and repair turn-around times.

Apache Integrated Operational Support (IOS) in the UK

The British Army operates a fleet of 67 Boeing-designed Apache AH-Mk.1 attack helicopters.

Boeing’s UK Rotorcraft Support team in Yeovil and East Anglia, with reach-back to the Apache worldwide support organisation in Mesa, Arizona, provides Technical Support and Logistics Services for the UK’s fleet of Apaches, which are forward deployed in Afghanistan from the Apache main operating base at Wattisham Air Station in Suffolk. The Boeing team, as Design Authority, provides a wide range of technical services to assist with operation and maintenance of the aircraft. They also deliver spares, perform repair and overhaul and are responsible for the design integration support for Mission/Theatre Specific Equipment needed in the field.