By Renee Hatcher
NAVAIR Public Affairs

The NAVAIR Industrial Operations’ Component Repair Program had its most productive year ever in fiscal 2001 but bettered that record by producing even more usable aircraft components for the fleet during fiscal 2002.

In fiscal 2002, the three NAVAIR depots repaired, tested and returned 126,551 aircraft components to fleet operational status. That is 5,500 more units than were produced in fiscal 2001. The plan at the beginning of the year was to produce 120,000 units. The range of components produced includes anything that makes up an aircraft like hydraulic valves, landing gear or electronic components in the cockpit.

“It was a tremendous team effort between NAVAIR, the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and the Defense Logistics Agency,” said John Anderson, division director for NAVAIR’s Component Repair Program. “Everyone stepped up and did what they had to do in order to provide the highest standard of warfare technology to the American warfighter.”

The process of replacing a fleet aircraft component starts when a request to replace a component is submitted to NAVSUP. If the part is in stock, it is sent out to the fleet where it will replace the damaged part. That part is then routed through one of the depots to be repaired, tested and returned to the inventory.

NAVSUP’s Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) in Philadelphia, Pa. calculates fleet requirements based on demand and what is in the inventory of available components. Accurately forecasting the fleet’s tempo of operations is one of the challenges faced by NAVICP. The events on Sept. 11, 2001 further complicated the process.

“It’s tough to predict what the fleet is going to need especially during a war effort,” said Capt. Stu Paul, executive director for Aviation Depots. “But, we have more than 10,000 people at our depots fixing for the fight who are focused on keeping our airplanes flying safely.”

In the early ‘90s, NAVAIR closed three of its overhaul facilities and spread the workload around to the three remaining depots in North Island, Calif., Jacksonville, Fla. and Cherry Point, N.C.

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From professional training to carrier launch; from sensor data to precision targeting; from aircraft and weapons development to successful deployment; from real-time communication to aircraft recovery NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the warfighter.

(Call Renee Hatcher at 301-757-5138 for more information.)

PHOTO CUTLINE

Louis Arocho, an electronics integrated systems mechanic at NAVAIR Jacksonville, prepares an optic housing assembly for an F-18 heads-up display.
Photo by Amy A. Cheshire, NAVAIR Jacksonville