News Release
Fleet Readiness Center, Southeast
Jacksonville, Florida 32212-0016
(904) 542-3267 DSN 942-3267
FAX (904) 542-5866
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Point of Contact: Nancy L. Crook, Public Affairs Division Director Release No. 07-03
(904) 542-3168, extension 161
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 28, 2006
FRC-SE wins PBL Award for the H-60 FLIR
By Judy Hartman, Public Affairs Specialist

In a ceremony, held on November 7, at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) conference in Hilton Head, S.C., Fleet Readiness Center, Southeast (FRC-SE) was a recipient of the 2006 Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Performance Based Logistics (PBL) Award in the Sub-system Level with the H-60 Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) PBL Team. The H-60 FLIR PBL Team is composed of representatives from Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP), Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), FRC-SE, and Raytheon. This PBL team features a unique public-private partnering agreement between Raytheon and FRC-SE, with FRC-SE acting as a touch-labor provider to Raytheon. NAVICP awarded a ten-year, fixed-price-per-flying-hour performance-based contract to Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in October 2003.

The FLIR system supports 177 SH-60B and HH-60H Navy armed helicopters, and provides the aircrew with the ability to detect, track, classify, identify, and attack targets such as fast patrol boats and mine laying craft. The FLIR is comprised of three components: the Turret Unit, the Electronic Unit, and the Hand Control Unit. Prior to the PBL, turret unit availability was 41 percent, electronic unit availability was 17 percent, and the hand control unit availability was 80 percent. The PBL is now providing increased spares availability, guaranteed reliability improvements, and a 65 percent improvement in logistics response time. Since PBL inception, the FLIR has maintained 100 percent supply availability and achieved a 40 percent growth in system reliability with a significant cost avoidance.

Other features of the PBL include a proactive approach to obsolescence management, a 25 percent center inventory reduction, and expanded configuration control authority to the contractor. To satisfy Core Logistics capability requirements, the unique partnering arrangement was made where Raytheon transferred repair maintenance from a commercial facility to a government facility. Raytheon assumed responsibility for supply chain management, configuration management, commercial technology insertion, and total system performance, but contracted over 80 percent of the repair hours to FRC-SE. This relationship stands on a performance based management approach utilizing their respective best repair practices to jointly establish a streamline FLIR repair process, improve utilization of materials, reduce logistics cycle time, and decrease total cost of ownership. The H-60 FLIR PBL has truly set a benchmark at the sub-system level.