Volume 9 Number 4

Winter 2014

Process analysis
Supporting a complex new platform

THE LONG
HAUL

STORAGE
WARS

STRIKE
HOME

US truck development

Pallet and case technology

Australian JSF logistics

www.mil-log.com
LWI_OctNov14_S01.indd 1

24/09/2014 12:00:34

Dont worry,
Be Appy :)
Shephard Media is delighted to announce that
our range of defence, aerospace and security
magazines are now available through dedicated
Apps for both Android and Apple devices.
All magazines in one place
Optimised for mobile viewing
First issue free
View each edition offline
Interactive links
Slideshow galleries
Animations and videos

LWI_OctNov14_S02.indd 2

24/09/2014 12:01:39

EDITORIAL COMMENT AND CONTENTS

Front cover: Supporting the F-35 has
required a rethink of some long-established
practices. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Editor
Tim Fish
tim.f@shephardmedia.com
North America Editor
Scott R Gourley
scott.g@shephardmedia.com
Tel: +1 (707) 822 7204
European Editor
Ian Kemp
ian.k@shephardmedia.com
Contributors
Claire Apthorp, Angus Batey,
Mike Bryant, Peter Donaldson,
Liza Helps, Stephen Miller
Production Manager
David Hurst
david.h@shephardmedia.com
Sub-editor
Adam Wakeling
Advertising Sales Executive
Brian Millan
brian.m@shephardmedia.com
Tel: +44 (0)1753 727005
Editor-in-Chief
Tony Skinner
Managing Director
Darren Lake
Chairman
Nick Prest
Subscriptions
Annual rates start at 65
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 727010

ONE SIZE FITS ALL?

T
here has been a lot of focus on logistics in the
past month, with military transport aircraft from
the West first flying in humanitarian aid to the Kurds
in northern Iraq and more recently undertaking the
delivery of arms to Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
However, while the West and other relatively cashrich countries are able to afford expensive, high-end
military equipment, what options do other countries
have if they want to expand or modernise their air
transport capabilities?
Quick to jump on a market opportunity to provide
an affordable tactical transport solution, industry
offered two alternative proposals at the AAD
exhibition in Pretoria, South Africa, in September.
Lockheed Martins idea is to provide a high-end,
modern tactical transporter that is multipurpose.
According to Dennys Plessas, VP of business
development at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, missions
as diverse as airlift, airdrop, paradrop, air-to-air refuelling,
maritime patrol/surveillance, medevac, weather
reconnaissance, fire-fighting, EW, ISR, humanitarian
missions, commercial freight movements and VIP
transport, can all be met with one aircraft.

Lockheeds argument is that one aircraft with one

set of spares, pilot training and aircraft operations will
lead to significant savings compared with operating a
range of types. Although dedicated machines for
some of these roles would offer better capability, if
budgets are tight this seems like a good solution.
Meanwhile, Boeing suggested that you can still
buy dedicated aircraft for some specific roles,
but when it comes to more general transport and
airlifting tasks, its C-40A Combi is better placed.
Based on the 737-700, the Combi is a commercial
aircraft and so is more cost-effective to support and
operate. The aircraft can move supplies and
passengers farther and faster than a military
turboprop such as the C-130J-30.
According to Boeing, it would provide the best
capabilities for military-specific roles, while leaving
the more common non-warfighting tasks to cheaper
commercial aircraft, saving money across the fleet.
Both are good options, and it will be interesting to
see which air forces will prefer, or if another solution
will come up.
Tim Fish, Editor

4 NEWS

12 STORAGE WARS

For efficient transportation of military equipment,
pallets and cases must be both rugged and easy to
use. Mike Bryant canvasses the market.

Email: subs@shephardmedia.com
Web: shop.shephardmedia.com
Military Logistics International is published four
times a year by The Shephard Press Ltd,
268 Bath Road, Slough, Berks, SL1 4DX, UK.
Articles and information contained in this
publication are the copyright of the Shephard
Press Ltd and may not be reproduced in any

5 THE LONG HAUL

US wheeled support vehicle procurement and
modernisation programmes are currently thin on the
ground. Simon Miller examines why.

form without the written permission of the

publishers. No responsibility can be accepted
for loss of or damage to uncommissioned
photographs or manuscripts.
DTP Vivid Associates Ltd, Sutton, Surrey, UK

The Shephard Press Ltd, 2014.

ISSN 2043-6807

8 LOCATION FINDING
Breaking tradition has proven necessary to handle
maintenance of the Joint Strike Fighter, finds Tim Fish.

15 DEPTH FORWARD

With preparations for introduction of the F-35 under
way, Tim Fish talks to the RAAFs AVM Chris Deeble,
programme manager for the JSF Division in Australia,
about the required infrastructure developments.

Subscriptions
Shephards aerospace and defence publishing portfolio incorporates seven titles:
Defence Helicopter, Digital Battlespace, International Maritime & Port Security, Land
Warfare International, Military Logistics International, Rotorhub and Unmanned Vehicles.
Published bi-monthly or quarterly, each is respected and renowned for covering
global issues within its respective industry sector.

The Shephard Press Ltd

268 Bath Road, Slough,
Berkshire, SL1 4DX
Tel: +44 1753 727001
Fax: +44 1753 727002

www.mil-log.com

LWI_OctNov14_S03_Comment.indd 3

For more information, including editorial content of the current issues visit:
shephardmedia.com/magazines.

Subscribe today via: shop.shephardmedia.com or +44 (0)1753 727010

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

24/09/2014 12:02:53

NEWS

AUSTRALIA ADDS SUPPORT AIRCRAFT

The Royal Australian Air Forces (RAAFs) Air
Mobility Group will be strengthened by the
addition of two more A330 (locally designated
KC-30A) Multi Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs),
with the service also receiving a further one or
two C-17 aircraft.
One of the KC-30As will be converted to VIP
configuration to support the Australian prime
ministers international travel needs.
Defence Minister David Johnston announced
the plans on 14 August during his visit to the
international air warfare exercise Pitch Black 14,
held in Australias Northern Territory.
This latest move is another step to enhance
the countrys ability to contribute to security and

stability in the Indo-Pacific region one of the

ADFs principal tasks as stipulated by the 2013
Defence White Paper.
The RAAF currently operates five KC-30s,
using them as a key enabler for its air combat
fleet, extending strike range and combat air
patrol endurance to control Australias air
approaches and supporting operations in land,
sea and air environments.
Further enhancing the RAAFs ability to project
air power, the KC-30s tanking and cargo-lift
capacity can also be used to facilitate the rapid
deployment of a fighter squadron to an FOB.
This capability was demonstrated during
deployments to Northern Territory air bases at

Darwin and Tindal as well as recent movements

of RAAF F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft across the
Pacific to the continental US and Guam.
Since mid-2013, Australias new tanker/
transport has also been used on a number of
occasions during state visits overseas, as the
services two Boeing 737 BBJ VIP transports lack
the capacity to carry both the prime minister and
his entourage.
Providing long-range heavy airlift, the RAAFs
six C-17A transport aircraft have proven to
be instrumental in supporting operations in
the Middle East, while also being used for
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
By Pieter Bastiaans, Breda

DCD PROTECTED MOBILITY UNVEILS ORIBI TRUCK

Photo: author

DCD Protected Mobility launched its new 4x4

multirole utility truck, Oribi, amid much fanfare at
the AAD exhibition in Pretoria, South Africa, on
18 September.
With a focus on manoeuvrability and mobility,
the company has designed the vehicle to have a
small footprint but with large off-road 275/80

R20 tyres, allowing it to traverse rugged terrain

under any conditions.
This includes tailoring of the design of the
chassis, cab structure and axle to enable the
vehicle to remain in service while continuing to
operate in harsh conditions with high payloads.
The concept is to have an affordable utility

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Winter 2014 | Volume 9 Number 4

LWI_OctNov14_S04_News.indd 4

platform that can provide support to frontline

vehicles.
Oribi is 5.2m long, 2m wide and 2.5m high,
and with a kerb weight of 2,700kg it can take a
payload of 3,300kg. It has an Iveco engine
providing 200hp though a six-speed automatic
Allison transmission, giving a maximum speed
of 100km/h and a range of more than 600km.
The version on display was for troop
transport and had six seats in the rear facing
outwards. Other variants available include pilot
rescue, reconnaissance, C2, cargo carrier, fuel
transporter and ambulance. An armoured
version is also an option.
The company notes that there are three cab
configurations: a three-seat version; a six-seat
double cab; and a two-seat variant with an
open top and roll bars.
DCD developed the vehicle under a joint
venture agreement with Histomart signed
in 2013, with the chassis from Bremach in
Italy which has been adapted by DCD in
South Africa.
By Tim Fish, Pretoria

www.mil-log.com

24/09/2014 13:40:23

US FOCUS

A combination of a lack of funding and a

post-Afghanistan glut of platforms means that
US wheeled support vehicle procurement and
modernisation programmes are currently thin
on the ground. Stephen Miller reviews
the remaining opportunities for industry.

ew systems acquisitions in the US tactical

wheeled vehicle (TWV) market are falling
compared to previous years, and the focus is on
modernisation and sustainment instead. In May,
US Army Chief of Transportation Brig Gen John
Sullivan said that modernisation accounts are
39% below 2012 budgets, and new programmes
are limited to a handful.
This is partly a reflection of the reductions in
funding caused by sequestration, but is also due
to the sheer number of vehicles procured over
the past decade. Much of this was driven by
accelerated responses to demands in Iraq and
Afghanistan, but the result is that the overall age
of the TWV fleet is currently younger than it has
been in recent memory.
The armys truck fleet comprises over 278,000
vehicles, yet their average age runs between
eight years for medium trucks to five for light. As

a result, these assets are more capable of filling

current and projected mission requirements.
Force reductions already under way and
further restructuring that is being studied
will impact on TWVs. The elimination of 13
brigade combat teams (BCTs) along with their
headquarters and support units announced in
June 2013, and the armys intent to reduce the
TWV fleet by 60,000 vehicles, are evidence of this
and will affect the future mix of trucks employed
by combat forces. The DoD, army and USMC are
due to present their TWV strategy to Congress
later this year.
DECISION TIME

New vehicle acquisitions have been limited by

funding constraints, and even some flagship
programmes like the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
(JLTV) have been scaled down to address price

concerns. Those that remain have the rapt

attention of industry because there are so few
long-term production programmes.
JLTV is the largest open TWV programme
with a potential value of over $30 billion. A
spokesperson from PEO Combat Support &
Combat Service Support (CS&CSS) told Military
Logistics International the project is on track and
that candidate vehicles are being tested.
JLTV is at the engineering, manufacturing,
and development (EMD) phase and three
companies Lockheed Martin, Oshkosh Defense
and AM General were awarded contracts
to deliver 22 vehicles and six trailers each for
government testing.
Lockheed Martin had been selected for an
earlier technology demonstration (TD) phase, but
after investing their own money AM General and
Oshkosh, which did not get TD contracts,

THE LONG
HAUL

The USMCs standard heavy tactical

truck, the LVSR, is expected to continue
in service through 2030. (Photo: Oshkosh)
www.mil-log.com

LWI_OctNov14_S05-07_Future_trucks.indd 5

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

24/09/2014 12:31:23

US FOCUS

proposed separate new solutions for EMD

and were duly selected. The JLTV requirements
issued under the EMD RfP were downscaled
significantly from earlier specifications, leading
to comments that the TD phase was a waste
of money.
Following 14 months of testing, a selection
will be made from between Lockheed Martins
JLTV, Oshkoshs L-ATV (Light All Terrain
Vehicle) and AM Generals BRV-O (Blast Resistant
Vehicle) for an initial production of 3,000. The
contract could run through 2030, covering
49,909 vehicles for the army and 5,500 for the
marines in two basic variants: two-person and
four-person. A decision is due in July 2015 if it
does not slip.
There has been some disagreement over
the unit price. The army earlier indicated a
maximum of $250,000, but in May 2013, a DoD
selected acquisition report placed the figure at
$400,000 which included government-supplied
equipment, armour and other issue items.
SPECIAL PURPOSE

US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)

acquisitions include the GMV1.1 (Ground
Mobility Vehicle) and ITV (Internally Transported
Vehicle) and both requirements will be filled
by variants of the Flyer vehicle from General
Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
(GD-OTS).
The company won the 1,300-vehicle GMV
contract on 22 April 2013 to replace modified
HMMWVs. It was then selected the following
October for the ITV with a modified version of its
GMV submission. The ITV programme covers ten
platforms, although additional buys could be
added as the contact runs for three years.
The GMV must fit in the CH-47 and CH-53
helicopters whilst the ITV can be transported
inside the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. At 1,815kg,
the ITV can also be sling-loaded by the UH-60
Black Hawk. The selection of Flyer for both
programmes offers benefits in common training,
logistics and maintenance.
GD-OTS programme manager Sean Ridley
described the Flyer as having 80% commonality

The MCRS was fielded in limited numbers in response to urgent

needs in Iraq and Afghanistan to recover heavy wheeled
vehicles. Further acquisitions are now likely. (Photo: TruHitch)

with the HMMWV or COTS components, with

the ITV and GMV differing primarily in chassis
width. The GMV Flyer not only meets USSOCOM
requirements as a light vehicle under 7,000lb
[3,182kg] but can also achieve 12,000lb
(5,455kg) GVW.
The M1161/M1163 ITV/Light Strike Vehicle, also
known as Growler, was introduced by the USMC
in 2004. The contract was issued to American
Growler, later bought by General Dynamics.
Kevin McConnell, deputy director of the
Fires & Maneuver Integration Division at Marine
Corps Combat Development Command said
the Growler fleet is in rough shape as it has
been somewhat neglected due to recent
operational demands.
However, he added that the marines are
giving them attention and addressing this so
that Growler can remain in service through 201718. After this time, McConnell said: we will
begin to look at available options including other
services fielded and projected vehicles and
off-the-shelf candidates. Following actions are
dependent upon funding
HEAVIER LOADS

Several speciality vehicle acquisitions are also

being pursued. These include: the Heavy Dump
Truck (HDT), Modular Catastrophic Recovery
System (MCRS), HMMWV Ambulance and several
trailer programmes.
An HDT market survey was issued by TACOM
Life Cycle Management Command on 26 March,
following a draft requirement published in
February 2013. This outlines a requirement for
an 8x8, 22.5 ton, 18 cubic yard dump truck with a
gross vehicle weight of 100,000lb including an
armoured cab.
The requirement is for 181 trucks, delivered
from 2016-18. An RfP has not been released,
but the production delivery time frame suggests

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Winter 2014 | Volume 9 Number 4

LWI_OctNov14_S05-07_Future_trucks.indd 6

an off-the-shelf solution is likely. Potential

contenders could include Freightliner, Caterpillar,
Navistar and Oshkosh.
The army has realised it is short of HMMWV
M997A3 ambulance variants and is looking to
acquire additional units. Tobyhanna Army
Depot has worked with Rock Island Arsenal and
produced over 500 M997A3s for the National
Guard, but whether the army will use this source
is not yet clear.
However, a TACOM RfI for the shelter on the
ambulance suggests this may happen, although
this illustrates the tension between the army
depots and industry which would like the chance
to compete. This is a touchy subject no one
wants to upset the army leadership, who see the
depots as part of the services structure and want
to keep them healthy.
The MCRS uses the M983A4 Light Equipment
Transporter, a fifth wheel towing recovery
device and tilt deck recovery trailer. Originally
developed as a Stryker recovery vehicle, it can
hold 35t, lift 14.5t and tow 68t, giving it the
capability to handle other wheeled vehicles
including MRAPs.
Developed in collaboration with Tru-Hitch,
Oshkosh Defense has delivered 125 MCRS, which
have been fielded in limited numbers. As it was
recently approved as a programme of record,
additional buys are likely to be considered.
Jason Marineau of Tru-Hitch told MLI: Though
developed as the Stryker Recovery System, MCRS
has proved it is able to handle and retrieve many
other vehicles, even D8 bulldozers.
TOWED AWAY

The use of tactical trailers offers advantages

by increasing the capacity and adaptability of
existing trucks without increasing their numbers.
This is particularly attractive when faced by
manpower and asset reductions.
www.mil-log.com

24/09/2014 12:31:26

US FOCUS

Current tactical wheeled

vehicles are the
right capabilities and
platform mix to support
the USMCs vision.

The army is pursuing several new trailer

buys. These include the Light Engineer Utility
Trailer (LEUT), the M106A1 and M200A1 for
mobile electric power, the Light Tactical Trailer
re-buy and the M870A4 40t low boy. The
Combat Engineers view the LEUT as of significant
importance as it will provide the capability to
tactically move their M400 Skid Steer Loaders.
Even with the introduction of JLTV, between
50,000 and 35,000 HMMWVs will remain in
service through 2025. Due to recent buys,
much of this fleet is relatively new. The USMC had
considered a HMMWV Sustainment Modification
Initiative, but in July 2014 decided the effort
would be unaffordable and cancelled
the programme.
This was the last of a series of joint and
individual service HMMWV improvement
programmes actively pursued by industry,
often with their own investment, from 2008-12.
It remains to be seen if this is the last word
on HMMWV, since it will be around for ten
more years.
MAINTAINING STANDARDS

The current FMTV and HEMTT vehicles, both

from Oshkosh Defense, will remain the standard
tactical transporters for the army. The focus is on
extending the services medium and heavy fleets

life with overhauls and modernising older vehicles

to armour-capable configurations out to FY2025.
Survivability and crew protection remain of
high interest, with procurement of A-Cab and
B-Kit armour packages expected to continue,
but a major drawback in adding protection is a
parallel reduction in payload and performance.
The implications of this reduced capability
are particularly serious for deployed operations,
as more platforms are needed to move the
same basic load (the estimate of what is
needed ammunition, rations, fuel and more
to sustain operations for a set time). Less payload
per truck means more are needed. More trucks
mean more fuel to run them, more drivers to
operate them, more strategic transports to get
them there, and so on.
Scott Davis from PEO CS&CSS said a major
effort to reduce sustainment costs involves
divesting older vehicles and trailers. But the army
is looking at other ways to lower costs.
In an industry briefing in May, Col William
Boruff, programme manager for transportation
systems, laid out three areas where he felt
savings could be achieved. These included
maximising commonality between heavy
and medium tactical vehicles, higher fuel
efficiency and survivability enhancements.
He said the Next Generation Tactical Transport
Selection of a final vendor for JLTV is
scheduled for July 2015. AM Generals
BRV-O is one of three candidates still in
the running. (Photo: AM General)

www.mil-log.com

LWI_OctNov14_S05-07_Future_trucks.indd 7

System Demonstration will provide a medium to

evaluate these.
For the USMC, McConnell said current
tactical wheeled vehicles are the right
capabilities and platform mix to support the
corps vision. Both Medium Tactical Vehicle
Replacement (MTVR) and Logistics Vehicle
System Replacement (LVSR) are relatively new
and will be in use through to 2030, he added.
It is noteworthy that MTVR and LVSR are
both supplied by Oshkosh. The company is
essentially the source of 85% or more of the
army and marines TWVs, meaning it will be in
a strong position for any associated support
work. However, there will be limited additional
new buys.
For the army, the fielding of the M915A5 6x4
line-haul tractor truck developed by Daimler
Trucks North America started in 2010 and the
continued service of the Oshkosh Heavy
Equipment Transporter along with legacy semitrucks are seen as providing sufficient capability
within its transportation companies for the
foreseeable future.
CHALLENGES AHEAD

Both army and USMC leadership have stated that

the unpredictability of the budget is their most
serious concern, with no change to this situation
expected in the near future. So lean procurement
of TWVs appears likely to continue, raising
the question of what impact this will have
on the military truck manufacturing base and
longer-term force readiness.
In addition, given early indications that a shift
toward lighter systems is being considered, how
will current vehicles and acquisitions like JLTV
fit these revised priorities? The answers will
likely play out over the next four years, but
new concepts and technology demonstrations
will likely find a difficult time transitioning to a
procurement path.
Critical questions will be whether a
requirement is valid and if an existing system
can fill it. Logistics and support costs will also
be a key consideration when operational and
maintenance budgets are declining. MLI

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

24/09/2014 12:31:29

F-35 SUSTAINMENT

As a highly complex platform entering

service with multiple operators around
the world, a break with tradition has
proved necessary to handle heavy
maintenance of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Tim Fish finds out more.

he starting gun has been fired for the

ramp-up of facilities and capabilities that
will be needed to sustain and support the F-35
Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
With the release of the first RfI by the F-35
Joint Program Office (JPO), the next few months
will see an assessment of infrastructure in the
Asia-Pacific and European regions to decide
where best to place the F-35 airframe heavy
maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade
(MRO&U) centres.
As the prime contractor for the F-35, Lockheed
Martin is assisting the JPO with its assessment.
Steve Sheehy, director of F-35 sustainment
strategy at the company, told Military Logistics
International: The JPO has put an RfI out to
the partner countries and Foreign Military Sales
countries asking [what industry] is capable of

doing the heavy MRO&U work. That is being

evaluated starting [in August]. There should be
a decision on who is doing that work by the end
of the year.
Medium and light maintenance will be
conducted within each country, as each
operator approaches this level of MRO
differently and it must fit in with local practices.
The selection of just a few heavy MRO&U centres
across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe
is a way of reducing overcapacity and
making the programme affordable by cutting
duplication of effort.
In Europe, with the size and closeness of
countries they will only need one [centre],
whereas Asia-Pacific covers such a large area with
little land mass and a lot of ocean so there may be
two in that region. Every country aspires to have

LOCATION
FINDING

more jobs so we have to have the RfI to look at

who is best suited to do it, Sheehy explained.
The countries selected to have the heavy
MRO&U centres will have to establish the
infrastructure and capability themselves. Once
selected, the JPO will then choose sites for
the support of landing gear and support
equipment in 2015, with the remaining elements
of the aircraft support following in 2016.
There is some difficulty, as Japan and Italy have
already spent considerable sums on establishing
final assembly and checkout (FACO) facilities
in-country for their F-35s, and to retain
affordability it would make sense to use these as
MRO&U centres. Countries that are not selected
will have to rely on these centres for deeper-level
support of their aircraft. It remains to be seen if
this will be acceptable.
PARTNER CONCEPT

Norway is developing its logistics concept around

agreements between the partner nations. A
spokesperson from the F-35 programme office
at the Norwegian MoD told MLI that the
sustainment infrastructure will look very different
to that of traditional logistics support.
The most important conceptual difference
is that the armed forces themselves will not be

The Royal Australian Air Force has

undertaken extensive preparatory work as
it gets ready to support its first in-country
F-35 aircraft. (Photo: Australian DoD)

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Winter 2014 | Volume 9 Number 4

LWI_OctNov14_S08-11_F-35_sustainment.indd 8

www.mil-log.com

24/09/2014 12:56:04

F-35 SUSTAINMENT

establishing unique depot-level maintenance

capabilities in Norway to support just the
Norwegian F-35 fleet. For national purposes
we will only invest in what may be referred to as
user-level maintenance capabilities, which is
what will be carried out at the base at rland to
produce flight hours to support daily training and
operations, the spokesperson said.
In addition we will be establishing a national
operations centre for logistics which will
coordinate the support of the F-35 with the
international partnership and the various
commercial service providers under the umbrella
of a Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) system.
Whilst assessing the sites bidding to be
MRO&U facilities, Lockheed Martin and the JPO
are also looking ahead to analyse and model
what the centres will be doing and the capacity
that is needed. However, the programme is still in
its early stages as there are just 86 aircraft flying in
nine different locations, with fewer than 15,000
flying hours completed.
The US aircraft already flying are being
supported in the North American region by
OEMs Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney, as
well as DoD facilities. Air force F-35As and Cs will
be supported from a logistics centre at Hill AFB in
Utah, with work on the marines F-35Bs taking
place at MCAS Cherry Point, in North Carolina.
This means that the global supply chain for
spares and parts repair is already being utilised
via the Autonomous Logistics Information
System (ALIS), which has matured along with the
development of the airframe.
Sheehy said that as additional aircraft become
operational around the world, second sources of
repair or spares will be established and Lockheed
Martin will partner with international industry and
more US government depots.
SPARES POOL

There is a single global spares pool for all three

variants of the F-35 that will support the US,
its eight international partners and any FMS
countries that come into the programme.
It will be set up in a [PBL] environment,
said Sheehy, The customers will be paying for
www.mil-log.com

LWI_OctNov14_S08-11_F-35_sustainment.indd 9

Some levels of JSF maintenance will be

conducted by service personnel, while
others will be handled by OEMs and other
industry partners. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

availability, not for a specific part. By having a

global spares pool it allows us to buy with
economies of scale, instead of each country
having their own supply chain or piles of spare
parts, which reduces costs considerably.
The work of providing repairs for spare parts
outside the US will be selected by best value, he
added. The chosen companies will then provide
repair spares worldwide as part of the global
spares supply pool and every country will access
this pool via ALIS. They will not do their own
repair or supply of spare parts for the aircraft.
Sheehy said this is a paradigm shift in the way
aircraft are supported. With other multinational
fighter programmes such as Typhoon, Tornado
or F-16, each country supported its own aircraft,
handling heavy MRO&U and the provision of
spare parts. With the F-35, all this work is done
regionally or centrally, resulting in major cost
savings in the support of the aircraft. Other

programmes may have done this in a small way,

but not on this scale.
There are major challenges in setting up a
global spares pool. Modelling is not a challenge
but it is something that we have to get right. The
spares pool depends on how well we model and
look into the future. We have a modelling system
that goes through the spares daily once they
reach maturity to see where they are around the
globe, what our repair facilities are doing and
how fast the spares are getting out. That is a
constant monitoring we have to do, Sheehy said.
STEERING GROUP

The other area that we need to watch very

closely is how parts move around the globe we
have taxes and tariffs in every country. And that
is something that the JPO is working on we
have a semi-annual meeting and an international
steering group that works taxes and tariffs.

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

24/09/2014 12:56:05

F-35 SUSTAINMENT

The aircraft will get to

Australia new so you will
not see any deeper-level
maintenance evolutions
until 2026-plus.

The ALIS needs to be highly agile as more

countries receive their F-35 aircraft over the next
few years and begin to operate them, particularly
from 2018 onwards. Sheehy said that Lockheed
Martin will work with Pratt & Whitney and the
JPO to establish PBL relationships from 2016-18,
and this period represents a huge stepping
stone. By 2023 there needs to be a fully mature
PBL supply chain in place.
ALIS can see existing stock levels in the
warehouses and when the parts are being
delivered, but the potential of the system far
exceeds the ordering of spares. It also controls
aircraft scheduling, aircraft maintenance,
in-depth maintenance, training and personnel
training, Sheehy said. All of that is in ALIS. I
have never seen a system like this that brings
everything together so that you are not using
two or three different systems.
F-35 simulators are also tied into ALIS, so if a
pilot or maintainer wants to reach back into the
training system and review a lesson he had this is
also possible. Each new country coming online
accesses the network via its own central point of
entry ALIS server.
TIME PRESSURE

In Australia, which is bidding to set up a heavy

MRO&U centre for Asia-Pacific, there is only a short
period in which to build up the infrastructure and
capabilities (see also the interview on p15).

The RAAF has two aircraft accepted that will

remain in the US at Luke AFB as part of the
training pool, and will use them to exercise
elements of the support system that will be
established in Australia.
Operational Australian F-35 aircraft will hit the
tarmac at the end of 2018, leading up to an initial
operating capability in 2020 when a mature
system will need to be up and running.
AVM Chris Deeble, head of the JSF Project
Team in Australia, told MLI: Then we will be
introducing a further two squadrons. One of
them will be located in Tindal in northern
Australia, a fairly remote operating area, and will
declare FOC [full operational capability] by the
end of 2023 and that is when we expect to see a
mature Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment
(ALGS) system in place to support the aircraft
through its remaining life.
He added that part of the problem is that
ALGS is still being worked through and there is a
need to understand the role of Australian industry
in providing sovereign support, and where the
RAAF will have to reach back into the global chain
and integrate with the OEMs in the US.
We will be looking to work in partnership
with them to establish a sovereign sustainment
capability in Australia for the conduct of deeperlevel maintenance on airframes and engines and
other aircraft components based in Australia,
Deeble said.

An impression of what Norways main JSF

operating base at rland will look like. Basic
maintenance will take place in the hangarettes
in the foreground. (Photo: Norwegian MoD)

10

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Winter 2014 | Volume 9 Number 4

LWI_OctNov14_S08-11_F-35_sustainment.indd 10

The ALIS spares and repair management

system has been developed in parallel with the
aircraft programme. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Operational-level maintenance will be done

by RAAF crews, but it is embedding personnel
with some of the industry depots handling
intermediate and deeper-level maintenance to
get some cross-pollination. Selected elements
of operational level maintenance will be
outsourced to industry if it benefits the support
of deployed forces, and some work could be also
be handled by a mixed workforce of uniformed
and industry personnel.
However, deeper-level airframe maintenance
will be an industry task, along with deeper
maintenance for engines. Some military staff may
be embedded as part of the overall learning
process, but these services will be outsourced
in the main.
Deeper-level maintenance will not kick in
for this aircraft in Australia until the 2025-26 time
frame, a few years into service. The aircraft will get
to Australia new so you will not see any deeperlevel maintenance evolutions until 2026-plus,
Deeble said.
However, Australian ambitions go much
further and Deeble said that as the only partner
nation in the Asia-Pacific region it is looking to do
www.mil-log.com

24/09/2014 12:56:06

4197_WEW_advert_MIL_Logs_MAR_v2_HR.pdf

F-35 SUSTAINMENT

the regional support for Japan, South Korea and

Singapore as part of the ALGS system.
Although it is early days, Deeble recognises
that both Japan and South Korea want to have
their own industry actively engaged as a partner
nation. Those sovereign requirements have yet
to be worked out, but they will impact on
the regional capabilities that will be located
in Australia.
In terms of regional maintenance, we see
that as being industry-based. In the case of pilot
training, it will probably be a mixed force of
uniformed personnel such as flying instructors,
etc, with industry. Maintenance training will be a
mixture of uniformed and industry, and lowobservability repair and test will be a mixed force
too, he said.
For airframe systems, hydraulics, SES,
O-box, these will be industry outcomes. Avionics
maintenance repair and overhaul, the
powerplant repair and overhaul, will also be an
industry outcome.
CHAIN REACTION

Supply chain management cuts across both

camps, but in a global context it is industry-based
until it gets on to a military base, when there is
always an issue with getting out to the squadron,
so that will be a uniformed responsibility.
Australia will send back data on the reliability
and maintenance of the aircraft via ALIS and
this will be collated into the global supply
chain by the OEMs. Deeble said that an
advantage of the reachback to the worldwide
sustainment system is access to detailed
technical airworthiness reports, maintenance
requirements and determining reliability
standards and conditioned-based monitoring
(CBM) from an engineering perspective.
From a commercial perspective I want a
performance-based programme that I can look
at in aggregate. I would want to look at the global
and sovereign linkages to make sure that we stay
on the line. Youd need to have efficiency factors
common across those technical data rights
clearly established, IP rights, while thinking about
how to reduce costs, he said.

From the maintenance perspective you

want to be tapping into servicing schedules,
maintenance plans, training development,
support and test equipment and broader lessons
learned. While we would do a lot of that in
Australia, you want the benefit of the reachback
to the wider footprint of the lessons that
are being learned in that environment and the
ability to optimise your outcomes in getting
an optimised maintenance programme, an
optimised inventory, and rationalised supply
chains for the supply of items across the
customer base.

Wherever
you need it
www.wew.de

DIFFERENT ANIMAL

Deeble recognises that Australia will be operating

a very different aircraft to previous fighters and
that the RAAF requires some unique support
arrangements for composite materials or new
metal combinations of aluminium and titanium,
as well as managing MRO&U activities in harsh
conditions such as corrosive salty air near
the ocean in New South Wales and a hot and
UV-intensive environment in the Northern
Territory.
The distance between Australia and other
countries will put strain on the supply chain, so
Deeble said deciding on what level of support is
cost-effective will require some thinking.
He continued: A lot of this relies on in-service
reliability and maintainability, and we have a
long way to go. My experience tells me it is
about seven to eight years before you get
to the bottom of the bathtub curve and
really understand what that in-service reliability
and maintainability is like. That is around the
2025-6 time frame.
Deeble wants to operate flexible contracting
models and establish Australian industry early on.
The issue is that I cannot afford to scale them
100% up front we would have to scale them
as we move into the periods of deeper-level
maintenance in the 2026 time frame. But I do not
want to bring them on in 2024 and have another
learning curve, my aim is to bring them early,
scale them appropriately and have them come
on the journey with us in the JSF enterprise. MLI

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

LWI_OctNov14_S08-11_F-35_sustainment.indd 11

Fuel.
Water.

Drop
and go
solutions

11
24/09/2014 12:56:06

14/03/2014

13:31

PALLETS AND CASES

Suppliers continue to
look for ways to minimise
weight while ensuring
manufacturing costs are
kept down.

STORAGE
WARS
M

ilitary cases come in numerous shapes

and sizes, are made from a wide range of
synthetic materials and produced by means of
varying methods of manufacturing. What they
all have in common, however, is strength,
durability and ease of use, and suppliers
continue to look for ways to minimise weight
while ensuring manufacturing costs are kept as
low as possible.
Pallets and cases are designed for the
transportation of specific military equipment,
while rackmount cases provide a means of easier
storage that take up less space. Western
manufacturers must adhere to NATO standards
in their products, ensuring a degree of
standardisation for users.

INJECTION MODELS

One such company is US-based SKB Cases,

which supplies a number of markets the
military sector being just one of them. Its iSeries
injection molded cases, R-series rotationally
molded cases, and 3 SKB/3 RR-series shock and
isolation rack cases are in use with both US and
NATO forces.
SKB has not only secured large-scale orders
from the US armed forces in its domestic market,
but over the past four years it has sold into NATO
forces, including the Royal Netherlands Marine
Corps, Army and Air Force, as well as the UKs
Royal Marines and RN.
For SKB, as well as other suppliers, perhaps the
most important factor in a military cases design

For the efficient transportation

of military equipment, pallets
and cases must be rugged,
easy to use and remain costeffective for the customer.
Mike Bryant examines
some of the offerings on
the market.
is the ability to withstand the rigours of the
battlefield and everyday military use. They must
be rugged, durable and sufficiently lightweight
to be moved by one soldier, sailor or airman.
According to Robert Wilkes, senior VP of
global operations at SKB, the company has
developed polymers that are stronger than any
of those its competitors are using. These allow its
products to be lighter in weight, while remaining
strong and resilient. He pointed to SKBs 3i-series
injection molded cases, which are typically 10%
lighter in weight and 2.8 times tougher on
impact strength compared to other US- or
Italian-made products.
These features are essential on operational
deployments, as the less weight soldiers have to

ECS Cases Rotomold range (right) is made of linear low-density polyethylene, while
its rackmounts (left) use thermo-stamped composite material. (Photos: ECS Case)

12

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Winter 2014 | Volume 9 Number 4

LWI_OctNov14_S12-14_Pallets+Cases.indd 12

www.mil-log.com

24/09/2014 12:57:38

PALLETS AND CASES

USAF loadmasters with the 300th Airlift

Squadron help push a pallet of rice onto a
forklift during a humanitarian aid mission
to Haiti in July 2011. (Photo: USAF)

move, the better, and the improved impact

strengths help ensure sensitive contents will
arrive in acceptable condition.
Weight reductions when moving by air
translate to dollars saved, but when being
carried by a soldier in the field can result in
a more operationally ready fighting force,
potentially saving lives, explained Wilkes.
COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Another key player in this market is ECS Case, a

US manufacturer with four distinct product lines
based on different composite material designs.
Its Rotomold range is rotationally molded
from linear low-density polyethylene and
comprises various styles of shipping containers,
including footlockers, gun cases, transit cases,
drawer and tote cases. Its Thermo-Stamped
Composite (TSC) products are produced from
40% long-strand glass reinforced in a
polypropylene base that is heated and pressed
into forms used to create containers. Products in
this range include rackmount cases, transit cases,
battery boxes and totes.
Its Fiberglass Reinforced Polyester (FRP)
products consist of long-strand glass fibres in an
isophthalic resin that is heated and pressed into
forms used to create containers, while its
Vacuum Infusion Process (VIP) products are
www.mil-log.com

LWI_OctNov14_S12-14_Pallets+Cases.indd 13

manufactured by means of a vacuum bag resin

infusion process.
As a result, ECS offers large shipping and
storage containers (over 4x4x4ft) by means
of this latter process. The companys largest
container measures 33.5x8.5x4.5ft.
All these materials and designs have their own
advantages, offering different levels of strength,
durability, weight and degrees of impact and
temperature resistance.

companys Loadmaster shipping, transit and

weapons cases are one of the best such
products for rugged transportability and storage.
In addition to rifle and pistol cases for
standard commercial weapons, ECS has a
number of products designed and fielded for
the Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR), which are
currently being used by both Remington and
Accuracy International.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS

ECS cases have been procured for: the

USAFs Battle Airborne Communication Node
programme (both rackmount and Rotomold
cases); the USNs Broad Area Maritime
Surveillance programme (rackmount cases); and
the US Armys Family of Medium Tactical
Vehicles (battery trays and covers).
Cases can also be designed for the transport
and storage of particular military items, such as
small arms. For example, ECS offers several styles
of rifle and pistol storage products that house as
few as one weapon and as many as 24.
Programme manager and marketing director
Stephanie Quinn told Military Logistics
International that these are popular in the
military marketplace and are gaining traction in
the commercial sector. She claimed that the

The technological developments in military

cases have been surprisingly revolutionary over
recent decades, and the pace of change is still
high today.
According to Wilkes, SKB has at least 20 new
products in various stages of development at
any time. He explained that over the course
of just 30 days in mid-2014, the company
released a new R-series rotationally molded
case designed for the USMC and a new iSeries
injection-molded case size that is already
specified for a UAV programme in Europe.
A total of three new iSeries sizes were
expected to be released as MLI went to press
following final product testing runs.
Quinn said that ECS has led the R&D effort
into cases since 1954, and since then, with
the invention and original patent for the

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

13

24/09/2014 12:57:39

PALLETS AND CASES

SKBs cases are currently used by many NATO armed forces, including the US, British and
Netherlands services. (Photo: SKB Cases)

transportable military rackmount case in 1969.

More recently, it has continued with the
development and launch of Loadmaster in its
Rotomold and TSC product lines.
Another new launch by ECS is the RotoCube.
These cubes can be attached to the larger sizes
of the companys rotomolded cases and
therefore moved by both forklift and pallet
jacks, eliminating the need for palletising. Such
enhancements can significantly increase the
value of cases for many customers.
Cases are also subject to further refinements
on their external surfaces, and SKB has
developed latching and vibration isolation
systems over the past year that are available on
the removable rack cases of its 3 RR series.
Changes in material and design are led
mostly by the manufacturers themselves rather
than through any fundamental changes in
the demands of military users. Wilkes said
that military standards have remained pretty
consistent in nature, although armed forces and
individual soldiers using cases still would like to
see products that are even stronger, lighter and
easier to use.
To develop an improved product each time
requires working closely with the customer to
assess needs, as well as manufacturing partners.
MEETING STANDARDS

Standardisation across products is particularly

important throughout the development
process. Wilkes noted: It is true that best
engineering practices are being required by all
multinational forces. To this end, SKB works
with a number of European MoD engineers as
well as the US military and many military
contractors such as Thales, Boeing and
Raytheon, among others, to develop the best

14

available product products to meet the need of

the warfighter.
ECS Cases Loadmaster rotationally molded
shipping cases are modular, and cases of different
sizes can securely stack and interlock together.
The products are also suitable for use on 463L
pallets, the standard in military aircraft pallets.
They are by no means the only cases that offer
this sort of applicability, as most manufacturers
in the market will ensure their products are airportable on the 463L.
AAR Mobility Systems is a leading supplier to
the US DoD, and it has been providing 463L
pallets for the USAF since the early 1960s, as
well as its own ISO containers since the mid1980s.
The 463L is the centrepiece of the companys
product line along with its 6/E Air Cargo
Pallet, which has been the mainstay of cargo
movements for the USAF since 1963. More
recently, AAR has also expanded into pallets for
transporting ISO containers, palletised seat/
galley/lavatory units for military transport aircraft
and even palletised systems designed for navy
undersea rescue platforms.
ORDER LIST

AAR continues to secure customers for its

463L. In February, the UK MoD signed a four-year
8.3 million ($13.8 million) contract for the
companys 100,000lb (45,360kg)-capacity 463L
balsa wood core pallets to be used on a variety
of RAF aircraft, including the C-130J Hercules,
C-17A Globemaster III, A330 Voyager and
A400M.
The UK MoD has been acquiring AARs 463Ls
for over a decade. The company also announced
in February that the USAF had placed a further
order for 463L pallet production and repair. The

MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL | Winter 2014 | Volume 9 Number 4

LWI_OctNov14_S12-14_Pallets+Cases.indd 14

contract has a two-year base period value of

$133 million, and might be worth an estimated
$323 million over the full five-year term.
Away from the mainstay of the military
pallet fleet, AAR pushed its latest model of the
ISU 56000 Series container also marketed as
the Gen X Container towards rapid reaction
forces. The Gen X is designed for rapid loading
and unloading and does not require its own
pallet or tie-down chains, being equipped to
lock into aircraft cargo restraint systems.
The ISU 56000 Series is suitable for both fixedwing main deck transport or underslung
helicopter operations, as well as land or sea
transport, and is built to be rugged, dust-proof
and sand-proof, while stackable two-high.
FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Phillip Adams, VP of sales and marketing at

AAR, told MLI that its products benefit from
being lightweight offering ease of handling
and a minimal transport footprint while having
intermodal suitability, corrosion resistance,
optional EMI/RFI shielding and even CBRNE
protection.
Weight reduction has been a particular focus
for the civilian air cargo container sector for
many years with the use of lighter unit load
device containers, with the effect of saving fuel
and lowering emissions.
Lightweight designs in the commercial sector
have used composite materials and plastic
containers, rather than aluminium. The difficulty
lies in maintaining the strength and durability of
the container, while minimising weight.
The technology for the smaller, lightweight
containers (the ubiquitous LD3 and AKE
baggage and cargo containers) in the civilian
sector is now mature, and many of the worlds
largest carriers have already moved across to
lightweight container fleets, while others are in
the process of doing so.
The same cannot be said of the larger
containers required by main deck freighters, or for
pallets, where the search for the right materials
and designs continues. Developments here may
well spread into the military sphere. MLI
www.mil-log.com

24/09/2014 12:57:40

DEPTH FORWARD

With preparations for the introduction of the F-35 JSF under way,
Tim Fish talks to the RAAFs Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble,
programme manager of the JSF Division in Australia, about the
infrastructure developments required to support the aircraft.

STRIKE HOME
W

hat we have to do between now and

the start of 2018 is to establish the
infrastructure the bricks and mortar and the
interfaces that are required for the supporting
IT systems, like the Autonomous Logistics
Information System [ALIS], explained Deeble.
The combined budget for JSF stage 1 and 2 is
around A$15.5 billion (US$13.7 billion) of which
A$1.6 billion is associated with infrastructure.
Deeble noted that this funding will allow for the
expansion of the main operating base at RAAF
Williamtown in New South Wales and work at
RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory.

UPDATING FACILITIES

It will involve updating facilities associated

with ordnance storage and management...
and some minor works with FOBs at Curtin,
Sherga and Learmonth that we would operate
in contingencies, he said.
At Williamtown, the work includes extension of
the runway and upgrading maintenance facilities,
as so far they are only supporting Australias
F/A-18 Hornet.
The sorts of issues to address at Williamtown
include establishing operational maintenance
capabilities. We will have to set up some deeper
maintenance facilities refurbishing some,
potentially leasing some. We will have to set up
a deeper engine maintenance facility here in
Australia and probably have to look at what we
can set up in a more holistic fashion for the life
of the aircraft.
Deeble highlighted the extent of the work that
needs to be completed at Williamtown before
initial operating capability when the first squadron
is stood up in 2020, and the final operating
capability in 2023. We have got pilot training
facilities, maintenance training facilities, some
specialist repair facilities for the maintenance of
the JSF in terms of its stealth and backshops
for specific systems like the canopy, wheels,
www.mil-log.com

LWI_OctNov14_S15_Depth_Forward.indd 15

undercarriage etc. From my experience running

big programmes, that time will go in the blink of
an eye, so we have a lot of work to be done in a
very short period of time.
As part of a global sustainment system, support
for Australias JSF will include the ability to access
the global supply chain and reach back to the US
in a way that has not been done before with other
aircraft on this scale.
What that means is that [there are] facilities,
such as the offboard information centre, that we
have not had before with our Hornet. This will be
a central node for our computing systems and the
ALIS system supporting the aircraft, and it will
reach back to Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth and
other US agencies.
That facility will need to be up and running
by the 2017 time frame, fully tested and fully
integrated into our defence information network
environment [and] into our restricted and secret
networks, in time, and tested and certified for
when the aircraft are operating.
ON DISPLAY

Other specific facilities unique to the JSF will

need to be established in Australia. One is for
the fitment of the aircrafts helmet-mounted
display. It is not a matter of going and picking
one off the shelf it has to be fitted to the pilot,
it has to be calibrated and all those sorts of
things, continued Deeble. So that will come
with an increased overhead than what we had
to do for classic systems using NVGs or classic
displays.
Other facilities include repair units to maintain
the stealthy characteristics of the aircraft. The
ability to fix scratches or fix dents in the
outer mold line of the aircraft and then to
subsequently test to make sure that you have
retained the stealthy characteristics that is quite
a unique element in the aircraft. However, other
facilities are more typical for support of aircraft, but

will need some modification. Some warehousing

buildings have been around for some time and
will need to be updated to support the aircraft
along with existing deeper maintenance-level
facilities.
This aircraft comes with a lot of advanced
manufacturing and we are going to have to learn
as we go about keeping the aircraft under cover
in corrosive environments like Williamtown,
where you are very close to the ocean and
understanding what that means [when] updating
the aircraft in terms of re-coating or other things
for the Australian environment. Those are all
things we are going to have to learn by doing and
they may come with additional overheads.
Security is also a serious and complex issue
because the JSF is highly classified and the aircraft
has to be protected, as do the information
systems around, it in an appropriate way. Deeble
said this also comes with a huge overhead in
terms of how the security of the base is managed,
as well as other aspects.
The runway extensions have some significance
as well. When JSF is operating, sometimes
an afterburner is required to take off. At
Williamtown, we have extended the runway so
that you dont have to take off using afterburners.
This reduces the noise impact on the Newcastle
area and we will be doing similar works at Tindal
to reduce the noise impact there. MLI

Volume 9 Number 4 | Winter 2014 | MILITARY LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL

15

24/09/2014 12:59:22

LO O K I N G F O R . . .
MARKET INTELLIGENCE?
I N - D E P T H N E W S A N A LY S I S ?
D E TA I L E D P R O D U C T D ATA ?

S H E P H A R D P LU S H AS I T COV E R E D

V I S I T S H E P H A R D P LU S . CO M
FOR MORE INFO

LWI_OctNov14_S16.indd 16

24/09/2014 13:00:50