Air Force Maintenance: Two Level Maintenance Program Assessment
NSIAD-96-86
Published: Mar 27, 1996. Publicly Released: Mar 27, 1996.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the Air Force's implementation of the Two Level Maintenance (TLM) program, which is its plan to facilitate downsizing by transferring some repairs from many individual bases to centralized depots, focusing on whether the program: (1) has achieved the expected results; (2) has reduced repair turnaround time; and (3) will be an effective maintenance program for supporting deployed forces.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | In view of the unresolved TLM issues and the fact that the program has not fully achieved its intended objectives and has not been fully implemented, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Air Force to continue to periodically reassess the cost efficiency and effectiveness of items already in the program as well as those planned for the program to determine whether the avionics items and engines are the most appropriate TLM candidates. |
The Air Force, as part of a continuing maintenance effort, will review maintenance candidates to determine whether they should be part of TLM.
|
| Department of the Air Force | To facilitate the reassessment, the Secretary of the Air Force should develop a revised cost and savings analysis that reflects the facilities and minor construction costs incurred to ready depots for TLM and the fact that the anticipated workload at the depots has not materialized. |
The Air Force does not believe there is a need to redo the cost/benefit analysis and does not plan to do so. It is unlikely that there is anything that will change its decision.
|
| Department of the Air Force | To facilitate the reassessment, the Secretary of the Air Force should develop an assessment of the depots' ability to meet the repair turn around times prescribed by the Air Force standard when the current inventory of engines is reduced and TLM is fully implemented. |
The Air Force, as part of a continuing maintenance effort, will review maintenance candidates to determine whether they should be part of TLM.
|
| Department of the Air Force | To facilitate the reassessment, the Secretary of the Air Force should develop an action plan, in concert with wartime theater commanders, that assesses the availability of airlift in the early stages of a conflict to fully support the added airlift requirements of TLM. |
This effort is part of an ongoing process.
|
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Topics
Aircraft enginesAircraft maintenanceAvionicsCombat readinessDefense contingency planningMilitary aircraftMilitary airlift operationsMilitary cost controlMilitary downsizingSpare parts