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Warehouse to speed E-3 mods

  • Published
  • By Howdy Stout
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Implementation of the Block 40/45 upgrade to the E-3 AWACS aircraft is ahead of schedule with the official December opening of a 38,000-square-foot warehouse in Bldg. 9001--the newest addition to Tinker, located on the grounds of the former GM plant.

The warehouse will hold the estimated 75,000 items needed to upgrade the computer systems on each of the 32 AWACS aircraft in the Air Force inventory. The upgrade will be done at Tinker during Programmed Depot Maintenance and is the largest, single upgrade ever undertaken for the aircraft, replacing 1970s era computers with modern equipment and displays.

To speed production, parts for the upgrade will be stored by Boeing at the new warehouse, where workers from the 566th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron will compile the components for each aircraft as it arrives for upgrading. More than 40,000 line items are needed for the first phase of the upgrade.

"And that's just for one airplane," says Thomas Criddle, Boeing's head storekeeper at the new warehouse. "We'll be here sending out parts for one airplane and receiving parts for the next airplane all at the same time."

The first six aircraft of the Low-Rate Initial Production contract for the Block 40/45 upgrade will begin in November 2010 with the first modified AWACS entering service by June 2012. The last modified E-3 will roll out of the hangar by 2014. Doing the upgrade in conjunction with PDM will lengthen the time each aircraft is in PDM from six to ten months, but that is far shorter than a serial approach of PDM followed by modifications, which could take upwards of 18 months.

To help keep the upgrade production flowing smoothly, the modification is being done without the creation of a modification kit for each aircraft. Instead, workers from the 566th will compile the parts as needed from the Tinker warehouse.

"As far as I know, this is the first time we've had a major modification without a kit proof," Mr. Cain said. "This is unique, going right from engineering to production."

"Block 40/45 is the largest mod in AWACS history and we're going direct from design to production," said Rick Heerdt, Boeing's lead for Airborne Warning Systems. "Being co-located with the government is going to enhance our ability to flow parts."

Boeing received the contract for the upgrade last year and will supply the parts, equipment and engineering while the 566th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron will install the modification with help from the 557th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron.

"Traditionally, most modifications are done at the contractor's facility," said Colonel Eric Gunzelman, commander of the 551st Electronic Systems Group, Hanscom AFB, Mass., and program manager for the Block 40/45 upgrade. But, because the E-3 aircraft are limited in number and in high demand, he explained, the Air Force decided to do the upgrade during regularly scheduled depot maintenance to save time and preserve operational readiness - using a government workforce and contractor-supplied parts and equipment enables this option.

"We have a small fleet and we need to keep a certain number of aircraft on the ramp," Colonel Gunzelman said. "We haven't done this before, so a significant amount of pre-planning and rehearsal is underway to overcome the anticipated, first-ever challenges."

Kevin O'Connor, deputy director of the 76th Aircraft Maintenance Group, said locating the parts needed for the upgrade at a single warehouse at Tinker will help prevent parts shortages that could delay production.

"What we're doing is more than just opening a warehouse," he said. "We're demonstrating the success of our teaming efforts with ESC and Boeing and tackling some tough issues head on."

Boeing took over the warehouse last September, clearing and modifying space in the former car manufacturing plant to house the parts needed for the upgrade. Parts themselves began arriving last November ahead of schedule and Boeing plans to move all of the parts needed from other locations in Oklahoma City to Tinker.

"It's a good trend," Mr. O'Connor said.

Mr. Cain said having a large, single location for the parts will ease the logistics of supplying thousands of components for the upgrade. It is also a good sign of the cooperation between Tinker, the Air Force and Boeing.

"We worked really hard to secure this space," Mr. Cain explained. "This is a big part of the modification. You can't just drop the parts at our door. Just one shipment of parts will cover a lot of space. And we want to make sure we have the parts we need."