John T Forino

Examining Benefits of Dedicated Funding and Process Improvement for Depot Level Technology Insertion John T Forino

Publisher Marketing: The Air Force's aging fleet challenges are compounded by initiatives to maintain aircraft longer than originally programmed. These challenges warrant a strategic effort to fund and implement demonstrated technology for weapon systems and depots. In an effort to facilitate this process, Air Force Material Command created a new organization called the Sustainment Technology Process office, and formally defined the organizational structure to include designation of a Senior Sustainment Steering Committee, Senior Review Group, and Technology Working Groups. This office is located at Headquarters Air Force Material Command at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The Sustainment Technology Process office is tasked with providing a systematic and repeatable method for identifying sustainment needs from identification to final implementation. It is intended to create a strategic partnership with the science and technology providers and the sustainment, test, and acquisition communities to address sustainment technology opportunities. In turn, these opportunities provide a roadmap for solution planning and programming in direct support of weapon systems and the warfighter. As indicated by a request for research in the area, senior sustainment personnel believe there is room for improvement in STP processes. This research effort is an attempt to provide process improvement methodology and dedicated funding recommendations for the sustainment technology process in order to provide maximum benefit for our depots and weapons systems.