This project is being strongly supported by the Air Force and the Navy and has the potential to significantly improve productivity and prevent millions of dollars in the expense of testing electronics and avionics.  Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC), Elmendorf Air Force Base AFB, and NADEP North Island are the participating DoD facilities contributing to this development.  The objective is to demonstrate the ability to rapidly design, integrate, and validate three test program sets (TPS) for F-15 avionics line replaceable units.  The TPS will be run on the developed synthetic instrumentation (SI) equipped ATE within the initial 12-month development period.  The equipment will be relocated to Elmendorf AFB for familiarity training and a comparative performance assessment with existing F-15 I-Level ATE as part of a 60-day user trial supported by Boeing personnel.  The net result of this activity will demonstrate that alternatives to existing F-15 I-Level support can be developed with minimal resources which outperform existing support systems in terms of ease of operation, repair throughput, reliability, footprint, etc.  Sufficient capabilities will be included in the ATE design allowing the use of passive TPS hardware design and leveraging emerging instrument technologies and relevant non-USAF investment.

This project will make available a tangible ATE system to Elmendorf AFB to evaluate the capabilities of the SI technology with the industry partners cost share paying 75% of the total development cost.  Additionally, in the event that the USAF were to pursue additional systems of this type, Boeing could make their capital asset available to the USAF to fill voids associated with procuring, developing and delivering additional systems.  Another opportunity would be to utilize the SI hardware and software platform as a basis to develop ATE modifications/variants needed to fulfill additional or expanded support roles, develop additional avionics TPS, as well as to perform follow-on sustainment and support at no additional material cost to the USAF.

Program Manager: Lee Patch, (734) 995-4972, leep@ncms.org