Convergence on two-level maintenance

The US Department of Defense is seeking an integrated maintenance methodology that provides increased operational availability of weapons systems with a reduced logistics pipeline. In this context the author discusses a systems engineering methodology for newly designed systems and a transition plan for existing systems that will accommodate two levels of maintenance. The first level will encompass an onboard monitoring and diagnostics system that will monitor the health status of the weapons system and initiate diagnostic procedures as abnormalities arise. The second level will consist of low-cost mission-specific suitcase testers