Description
The Weapon System
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a variant of the Boeing Company's model
367-80 (the basic design for the commercial 707 passenger plane), whose
principal mission is air refueling. Able to carry and transfer 200,000
pounds of fuel, the KC-135 provides aerial refueling support to U. S.
Navy, U. S. Marine Corps and allied aircraft as well as to Air Force
units. A cargo deck above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of
passengers and cargo.
Through the years, the KC-135 has been altered to do other jobs ranging
from flying command post missions to reconnaissance. The EC-135C is the
U. S. Strategic Command's flying command post. Air Force Systems
Command flies RC-135s and NKC-135As
in test programs and Air Combat
Command operates the OC-135 as an observation platform in compliance
with the Open Skies Treaty.
The R-TOC approach is focused on reducing the frequency of depot
maintenance and reducing the cost of Depot Level Reparables (DLRs) by
replacing obsolete, low reliability equipment with COTS equipment with
warranties.
Production Status, Population, and Planned Life
The first production KC-135 was delivered in June 1957 and the last
Stratotanker was delivered to the Air Force in 1965. Of the original
KC-135As, almost 400 have been re-engined and re-designated either
KC-135R or KC-135T. These re-engined tankers can offload 50 percent more
fuel, cost 25 percent less to operate and are 96 percent quieter that
the KC-135A. Under another modification program, Reserve and National
Guard tankers were re-engined (with different engines) and redesignated
KC-135Es. The latter are 14 percent more fuel-efficient and can offload
20 percent more fuel that the KC-135As. There are 543 tankers and 38
special purpose aircraft in the C/KC-135 fleet, with an average age of
42 years. Planned service life extends to the year 2040.
Prime contractor: The Boeing Company
Office of Primary Responsibility: C/KC-135 System Program Director
R-TOC Focus Areas: (From USD (AT&L) memorandum dated May 10, 1999)
1. Reduced demand from weapon systems via reliability and maintainability improvements
The basic element of the C/KC-135 approach to R-TOC is to identify high
cost Depot Level Reparables (DLRs) and design ways to replace or remove
these DLRs. Besides reducing O&S costs, these improvements also improve
system reliability and availability and in many cases improve system
performance as well.
- One-time structural improvements and corrosion prevention/mitigration
- Major modifications
to replace 47 of the highest-cost DLRs.
- Reduced Vertical Minimum Separation Minimum involves installation of COTS altitude measuring equipment with 10-year
warranty, reduces number of DLRs.
- Turbine Engine Monitoring
System (TEMS), with 10-year warranty, reduces DLRs. [this initiative was
funded with the first increment of the R-TOC PBD].
- Global Air Traffic Modernization (GATM) satellite based
communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management
installation, replaces 17 DLRs with 3 COTS DLRs, with a 10-year
no-fault warranty.
- Linking DLR warranties will extend the warranties on some older
modernization initiatives to 2011, avoid expiring warranty costs,
and avoid costs for repair data, training, test equipment, and
manuals.
- Reliability and maintainability improvements, including
replacement of: existing, low reliability radome with new COTS
radome [funded by second increment of PBD 721]; air refueling pump;
fuel boost/override pump; and 1950s era brake and wheel systems.
2. Reduced supply chain response times, leading to reduced spares, system support footprint, and depot needs
- Increased Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) cycle from 4 to 5 years.
- Significant reduction in the number of PDM flow-days, due to a reduction in negotiated PDM hours per aircraft from a peak exceeding 35,000 hours to less than 30,000 hours Since FY00, the number of aircraft out of service due to PDM, unplanned depot level maintenance, modifications, and other reasons has declined from 170+ to <90, with the result that 87 more aircraft are available to the warfighter.
- Tech order digitization.
3. Competitive sourcing of product support, leading to streamlining and overhead reductions
- Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) competitively awarded.
- New DLRs now have 10-year warranty.
Links:
