The desire and need for automatic fault detection/isolation and prognostics capabilities have been around for as long as man has operated complex and expensive machinery. There has been a long history of trying to develop and implement various degrees of Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) capability on new applications like the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). A discussion of JSF's PHM system and its relationship to the Autonomic Logistics (AL) support concept will be presented in this paper. Overall PHM Architecture will be described with emphasis on its capabilities and its aims to enhance aircraft safety, improve Sortie Generation Rate, decrease Logistics Footprint and reduce Operation and Support costs. In order to enable the benefits of AL support concepts, PHM will be used also for prevention, control, and monitoring of airframe and component corrosion. Corrosion control has, in the past, consisted of visual inspection, corrosion removal, and coating system repair on a regular, recurring basis. This cycle continues throughout the life of an aircraft, and it consumes a significant amount of man-hours, support costs, and material needs. Use of newer maintenance philosophies such as Reliability-Centered Maintenance, as well as introduction of corrosion prevention compounds, upgraded coating systems, and PHM, leads to a reduction in Operation and Support costs, and provides a benefit to the user in terms of reduced down time and repair requirements. Data collection, from location monitoring to tracking of inspection and repair trends, provides a key element for the continual update and refinement of a maintenance program. This paper will describe some of the innovations in aircraft maintenance practices, task interval determination, and design strategies that can be applied to JSF, and can have a positive impact to the aircraft and to the end user.
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