F-16 Integrated Logistics Support: Still Time To Consider Economical Alternatives
LCD-80-89
Published: Aug 20, 1980. Publicly Released: Aug 20, 1980.
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Highlights
The F-16 aircraft is being developed in a cooperative undertaking between the United States and four European North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. The current program provides for coproduction of 1,113 aircraft. An integrated logistics support (ILS) plan was developed to coordinate and control the logistics tasks necessary to support the aircraft, but the plan has had little influence on subsystem selections and support because: (1) the F-16 was a prototype program and integrated logistics support was not included in the prototype contract; and (2) the first ILS plan was not final until 10 months after the aircraft entered full-scale development.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to centralize F-16 intermediate maintenance. |
The Air Force disagreed with this recommendation based on concerns about the vulnerability of a centralized maintenance facility in Europe. GAO has rebutted these concerns and continues to believe that a centralized facility can reduce maintenance cost without increasing vulnerability.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to accelerate negotiations with the EPG's to determine if and how much U.S. depot repair will be done in Europe to meet the Memorandum of Understanding commitments. |
The Air Force has made considerable progress in responding to the recommendation and has continual efforts underway to get more depot repair items under contract with EPG industries. This effort is a lengthy process and will not be complete for sometime. GAO is satisfied that appropriate emphasis is being placed on the effort and believes that further followup is not necessary.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to reexamine the potential value, volume, and availability of EPG depot support before purchasing additional test equipment. |
The Air Force believes that additional test equipment will be necessary in case of a contingency. Further followup on this report would not be useful.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to reexamine the need for backup aircraft inventory. |
The Air Force disagrees with the GAO position and does not plan any action. GAO has addressed this issue in several other reports and plans no further followup on this specific report.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to promptly resolve the operational uncertainties of the SAMT program. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to provide contingency plans in case delivery of the SAMT's is delayed further. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to assess the cost-benefit of buying a weapon system trainer for every F-16 base. |
The Air Force believes that flight simulators are an integral part of each unit's training and flying safety program; centralization would require frequent aircrew temporary duty, reducing each unit's ability to meet local training, alert, and combat commitments. It believes that one F-16 weapons system trainer is required at each location. No further followup on this recommendation is needed.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to improve current systems of quality assurance by requiring more frequent comprehensive inspections and in-process reviews before delivering technical orders to the Air Force for verification. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force to establish a timetable for F-16's to get war readiness spares into the system for deployment. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Air Force to accelerate completion of the mobile shelters as necessary to ensure protection of maintenance equipment when the F-16's are deployed. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Air Force provide sufficient resources to the validation and verification of technical orders to eliminate problems created by lateness and poor quality. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Air Force to update the ILS plan to recognize leadtimes required to ensure the availability of facilities to support aircraft. |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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Air Force procurementAir Force suppliesCost controlDefense contingency planningEquipment maintenanceFighter aircraftLogisticsMilitary inventoriesMilitary trainingWeapons systems