Planning and executing the movement and support of training and simulation products at the speed of operator relevance remains a critical enabler to affordable readiness. Continuous improvement is required within each training and simulation program and through measuring integrated support strategies with platforms. How these functions are packaged to field and maintain readiness and the operational capability of training and simulation products, subsystems, and components, and then doing so within standardized and interoperable environments, is the near-term focus.
Simulators Logistics & Product Support optimization is focused on tools to enable a cross-domain training architecture, on facilitating a synthetic-to-live/live-to-synthetic capability, and on actions supporting aggressive movement toward the digital Air Force. What will be the new sustainment strategy given each program decision? Optimization efforts will include results from gaming research integration for learning, development of a Learning Management System, and Model-Based Engineering (MBE) applications for product support. Joint discussions are expected to increase knowledge sharing.
Numerous challenges exist across multiple product domain applications, multiple Services with diverse internal Commands, industrial base intellectual property and market share, and program affordability. All stakeholders want a positive impact to strategy and with sustained operational effectiveness. This paper will examine logistics and product support pathways for program delivery that will include driving common architecture and support tool cost avoidance; standardizing measurement of existing readiness baselines; enhancing platform-to-training system organizational relationships by Command then Service; leveraging industry and government strengths and best practices; and will initiate a Cost Per Simulation Hour planning/measurement capability. This paper will culminate with new methodologies for logistics and product support in a digital environment, a roadmap of lessons learned with targeted opportunities for future examination and knowledge sharing, guidance for workforce development, and will demonstrate how AF Simulator programs remain a trusted agile provider of innovative, timely, and cost-effective capabilities.
Keywords
BEST PRACTICES,COLLABORATIVE,INTEROPERABILITY,MEASURES,READINESS
Additional Keywords
Digital; Affordable; Product Support