Integration of the Distribution and Repair in Variable Environments (DRIVE) Modelinto MICAP Policy

摘要

The United States Air Force has implemented the Distribution and Repair InVariable Environments (DRIVE) Model to a limited degree for a limited range of items, and policy makers seem unsure as to the proper level of DRIVE utilization. New asset release sequences and policies have been proposed without evidence to support those decisions. The purpose of this study is to explore different levels of DRIVE implementation relating to proposed asset release policies in order to provide some evidence on which policy could best support Air Force weapon systems. A second purpose of this study is to show how the DRIVE Model works in terms of asset distribution decisions. The approach used in this research involved using the Uniform Material Movement and Issue Priority System (UMMIPS) as a baseline for comparison with DRIVE implementation. A historical requisition database was used in order to determine UMMIPS results, and to determine the actual allocated quantities of each asset during the two quarter period used for the comparison. The actual allocated quantities were then reallocated using five increasing levels of DRIVE implementation, resulting in a total of six research levels overall (including UMMIPS). The research results yielded evidence that DRIVE utilization does increase aircraft availability for all locations as a whole and bases with a FAD (force activity designator) of two (versus FAD one), although FAD one locations saw only a marginal decline in availability rates. Although greater DRIVE implementation over current operations did not yield higher results, pure DRIVE utilization performed as well as current operating policy, and better than UMMIPS logic without any requisition data.