Military Products From Commercial Lines

“Military Products From Commercial Lines” is a pilot program within the Air Force Manufacturing Technology Directorate's Industrial Base Pilots Office. TRW's Avionics and Surveillance Group (ASG) is leading the program. This pilot program will demonstrate commercial-military integration by producing F-22 military avionics modules on an automotive electronics production line operated by TRW's Automotive Electronics Group (AEG). To accomplish this requires a redesign of the modules so that they are producible using commercial automotive electronics processes. Dual use manufacturing also dictates establishing compatible business practices, manufacturing infrastructures and process technologies. Business practices that must be changed involve accounting procedures, contracting requirements, audit requirements and quality control. Manufacturing infrastructure improvements include incorporation of advanced concurrent engineering tools and process control software to allow economic production of small lot sizes. Process technology changes involve designing for production lines that are highly automated and compatibility with commercial practices