Representative Projects: System Life Cycle / Sustainment Support

Integrating Training Evaluations into the Navy Modernization Process

The Navy implemented a standard methodology for planning, budgeting, engineering and installing shipboard improvements under the Navy Modernization Process (NMP) also referred to as SHIPMAIN. The NMP consolidated numerous ship change and modernization programs under a single navy modernization entitlement process which increases the efficiency of the planning process without compromising its effectiveness. The NMP also provides greater visibility throughout the Navy enterprise regarding proposed ship changes, and includes an effective prioritization process.

 

Research conducted by Penderbrook Associates showed platform offices spend in excess of $1.8M per year to correct training related deficiencies. Some ship changes impact the training required by shipboard operators and maintainers and lessons learned under the NMP demonstrate impacts to training programs are not adequately assessed upfront and therefore are not budgeted for as part of the cost of the ship change. This results in ships changes being implemented without required changes to the training program or training curriculum which results in increased system downtime and support costs.

 

Penderbrook Associates is working in conjunction with the NMP Team Members and members of the training community to implement a standardized training assessment and approval process under the NMP to:

• ensure training impacts are identified and budgeted for as part of the ship change (SC) development process.
• include the implementation of additional NMP data reporting requirements and processes, so training related data are collected under the NMP which allows one to perform effective training assessments early in the ship change development process.

 

The task also involves working in conjunction with Navy platform offices, NAVSEA technical warrants and members of the Navy training community to establish and implement a standardized training assessment and evaluation process under NMP.

Integrated Battle Force Training Pilot

Penderbrook Associates demonstrated the capability to integrate training requirements for Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) systems into the Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command’s (SPAWAR) Integrated Battle Force Training (IBFT) web-enabled software application.

 

Penderbrook Associates conducted a pilot on two Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) by placing training requirements for 18 NAVSEA combat and hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) systems against CSG surface ships and air craft carriers.

 

The IBFT application pushes training requirements to each ship based on its unique configuration which is a function of equipment as well as engineering changes installed on the ship. The data is used by ship training officers to identify system and equipment training requirements and in scheduling training for ships force.

 

IBFT provides details on:

• training requirements
• personnel prerequisites
• training providers and training provider point of contact data
• training quotas available.

 

The successful pilot led to a follow on effort of integrating IBFT application functionality into the Fleet Training, Management and Planning System (FLTMPS) application which is the Navy’s Enterprise Training Management Solution (ETMS). Penderbrook Associates supported initial efforts to integrate IBFT functionality into FLTMPS in cooperation with the U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) and the FLMTPS Program Manager. IBFT functionality was integrated into FLTMPS and has been designated as the Afloat Configuration Manpower, Personnel and Training (ACMPT) module.      

Maintenance Planning and Reliability Centered Maintenance Support

Penderbrook Associates has extensive experience in shipboard system maintenance planning and in implementing reliability centered maintenance (RCM) programs on shipboard systems and equipment.

 

We support clients in developing maintenance concepts and in conducting underpinning RCM analyses such as:

 

• functional failure analysis
• failure mode and effects criticality analysis (FMECA)
• decision logic tree analysis
• maintenance task analyses which are used to determine preventive maintenance requirements for systems and equipment.   

 

Penderbrook Associates RCM Level II Certified Engineers develop maintenance requirement cards (MRCs) and maintenance procedure cards (MPCs) for various shipboard navigation; hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E); and combat systems. This includes equipment such as: compressed air systems, fire control systems, air conditioning and chilled water systems, diesel engines, gas turbines, motors, radars, control systems, pumps and hydraulic systems.

 

Penderbrook Associates RCM engineers and analysts not only have training in maintenance planning, familiarity with MIL-P-24534A requirements and RCM methodologies, but also have prior military shipboard experience which provides them an understanding of the shipboard maintenance environment which must be taken into account when developing an effective shipboard equipment preventive maintenance program.

 

Our clients are provided the assurance that RCM analyses conducted by Penderbrook Associates result in cost effective and practical preventive maintenance programs.

Navy Training Program Support

Penderbrook Associates supported the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Human Systems Integration (HSI) directorate in establishing the commands Surface Ship Training Systems Technical Authority (SSTSTA).

 

• Penderbrook supported development of training program evaluation criteria and participated in training assessments conducted on a number of ship, system and equipment level acquisition and modernization programs.
• Penderbrook personnel served as training program subject matter experts and participated in working groups and integrated project team efforts to update training related instructions and guidance.
• Penderbrook conducted reviews on draft ship, system and equipment level navy training system plans (NTSPs) to ensure compliance with Navy standards and guidance.
• Penderbrook personnel participated in training analysis working groups in support of ship and system acquisition and modernization programs and supported training needs analyses (TNAs), training front end analyses (FEAs) and training assessments.
• Penderbrook supported NAVSEA’s HSI directorate by establishing a web enabled training standards and guidance data repository.
• Penderbrook worked in cooperation with the Center for Naval Engineering to identify and prioritize surface ship hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) system training deficiencies and obtain funding to correct identified deficiencies.
• Penderbrook engineers also conducted training business case analyses to assess the cost benefit of alternative training solutions.

 

In support of the SSTSTA, Penderbrook worked in cooperation with members of the Navy extended training community including: U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Navy Warfare Systems Command, NAVSEA Program Managers and Participating Managers, training providers, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), Chief of Naval Operations program sponsors, NETC Learning Centers and Fleet representatives.  

DDG 51 Class Gas Turbine Business Case Analysis

In support of the Navy’s Propulsion Executive Steering Committee (PESC), Penderbrook Associates conducted a business case analysis (BCA) to determine the cost benefit of replacing the existing ships service gas turbine with a commercially available gas turbine.

 

Cost data for the existing DDG 51 Class gas turbine was obtained from a variety of sources including:

• open architecture retrieval system (OARS)
• Navy maintenance database (NMD)
• Navy enterprise maintenance automated information system (NEMAIS)
• historical gas turbine overhaul and maintenance data
• previously conducted cost analyses.

 

The BCA accounted for overhaul periodicities as well as engineering related costs with modernization of the existing gas turbine and costs associated with integration, testing and shipboard qualification of the commercial gas turbine. The BCA also accounted for costs related to fuel, overhauls, spare parts consumption, pilot testing, technical documentation, integrated logistics support, maintenance requirement card development, installation drawing development and planning yard services, interim support, training and special tools.

 

The BCA was based on a DDG ship Class population of sixty-two ships and assumed each ship will have a service life of 35 years which was consistent with Navy’s Surface Fleet Planning Strategy. The analysis showed that while the commercially available gas turbine is projected to have favorable reliability attributes when compared to the existing gas turbine, the return on investment payback period is in excess of 20 years. Additionally, the analysis projected the cost avoidance to be less than 2% of the lifetime cost of the replacement gas turbine program.

 

The Navy used BCA results to determine that the cost benefit of replacing the ships service gas turbines on DDG 51 Class ships was not cost effective based on replacement gas turbine program costs, program risks and return on investment attributes.