This paper will describe the experiences and lessons learned of the C-130J Maintenance & Aircrew Training System (MATS) team in procuring a military training system in the commercial market. When procuring military products that are similar to those offered on the commercial marketplace, using a commercial contract can save the government time and money. However, the benefits of using commercial procedures to buy a training system must be weighed against the risks of purchasing items that require modification or do not exactly meet the customers needs. The lessons learned by the C-130J MATS team have wide application across other military training system acquisitions in the commercial market.

Procuring a training system as a commercial item can be particularly difficult because the system can be composed of many dissimilar elements such as training devices, courseware, and operations that may or may not have a commercial equivalent. The commercial designation has presented several unique challenges for the C-130J MATS team. The commercial market provides similar products for portions of the training system, especially aircraft flight simulators. However, it is much more difficult to find commercial equivalents to military maintenance training devices. While the C-130J MATS will reap some benefits of a commercial acquisition, not all expected benefits will be realized. The pros and cons of acquiring a typical military training system on the commercial market will be discussed, along with lessons learned and recommendations for improvement.