Developing Robust Support Structures for High-Technology Subsystems: The AH-64Apache Helicopter

摘要

The U.S. Army is relying more and more on high-technology weapons systems, whichpresent a challenge for the logistics structure that must support them. Unlike the simpler weapons systems of the past, today's technologically sophisticated systems have components that are extremely expensive; in addition, maintaining today's systems is far more difficult, because diagnosing and repairing complex subsystem faults require sophisticated and expensive test and diagnostic equipment. And on top of all this, the uncertainties of war make forecasting demands for these expensive items highly problematic. These factors combine in ways that negate the value of preplanned inventory as a way to solve the demands for spares in changing environments. We believe that a more realistic solution to this challenge involves developing and evaluating alternative logistics structures whose more fundable resources-like transportation and repair-are used to respond to changing wartime demands. Using data on the high-technology subsystems of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, we hypothesize alternative logistics structures and assess their responsiveness-in terms of cost -effective improvements to weapon system availability-under contingency scenarios.