In the ever-evolving threat landscape – covering global security and digital technological advances – the ability for a nation to maintain platform and equipment availability for military operations is paramount. Increased international threats demand that our aircraft are fully operational and prepared for immediate deployment.
Economically however, pressures on defence budgets and extended in-service timescales mean that “doing more for less and with less” is frequently demanded. This is resulting in capabilities being sustained beyond their initial out of service date and at a lower cost.
The question therefore is how to ensure a sovereign capability and national resilience, since without fleet readiness, the UK’s ability to deter aggressors, project force and meet the nation’s strategic defence objectives may be unattainable.
A strategic approach to IOS
An Integrated Operational Support (IOS) business model has been proven to deliver successful support to military operations with the focus being on military outcomes and through-life affordability, resulting in improved aircraft availability for Front Line Commands.
The operational benefits of IOS are:
- Improved Aircraft Availability: By optimising maintenance schedules, establishing second line repair facilities and improving logistics, IOS ensures aircraft are ready for operations when needed.
- Enhanced Operational Readiness: Comprehensive support services and training programmes ensure personnel are prepared to operate and maintain the aircraft effectively.
- Cost Efficiency: Industry collaboration, effective inventory management, optimised maintenance models and incentivised risk suppression ensure that an IOS service reduces the total cost of ownership for aircraft.
- Improved Safety and Reliability: Continuous monitoring and proactive maintenance and reliability improvements help address potential issues before they lead to failures.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Advanced analytics, data integration and smart asset management tools support informed decision-making and strategic planning. Data analysis and reporting measures service improvements and effectiveness of cost saving initiatives.
The Evolution of Rotary Wing Support
Whilst this support model has evolved organically over the last several decades, it has been piecemeal without a consistent approach to support across fleets. Stove-piped funding streams, traditional contracting methods and industry behaviours have stymied commercial innovation, collaboration and cost optimisation.
The greatest challenge is transforming an existing support infrastructure that is relied upon to sustain current and emerging operations, against the backdrop of a challenging economic climate and aging platforms that are exposed to tough environmental conditions and require increasingly more maintenance to ensure safe and effective operations. Transformative change requires big bold decisions, and this cannot be done at the expense of operational readiness.
Supportability Advantage
One of the known incentives for change is the importance of “right information, right place, right time”. This is not a new concept, particularly in the context of war-fighting capabilities. However, as technology continues to evolve in this digital age, the need to design a support system with a digital backbone, to automate and facilitate efficient and effective information sharing, is paramount.
Analytics and information management are a key enabler in attaining competitive advantage over current and future adversaries. Enhanced data analytics tools such as those being developed by Leonardo, are improving supply chain resilience and asset availability.
“There has been a seismic change in the way we can capture and exploit engineering data to create new knowledge and insights. We have a cadre of young data scientists and analysts who have an entirely fresh approach to exploiting large datasets and, whilst there will be many challenges, this digital revolution will be vital to meeting the UK MOD’s capability and affordability challenges,” says Andy Box, Head of Capability for Leonardo’s UK Customer Support and Service Solutions business.
The three key components for supportability advantage through data analytics are:
- Prognostics: Pre-emptive failure detection and mitigation
- Diagnostics: Rapid and precise failure identification to restore capability
- Health Management: Insight into equipment performance to align with mission objectives or undertake restorative actions
By integrating maintenance and logistic data across the support spectrum into a unified data fabric, advanced analytics, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and digital twins can be fully deployed. This approach supports various tools – from commercial logistics software to custom analytics tailored for specific military platforms – leading to:
- Increased mission reliability
- Optimised asset availability
- Reduced through-life cost of ownership
- Reduced logistic footprint (fewer assets required)
Closer collaboration between the military and industry
With an in-depth understanding of how digital technologies can transform the operational readiness of military capability, industry is a key enabler in helping meet the UK’s demand for Air Power in a profoundly volatile world.
Companies such as Leonardo can support the UK MOD in creating the environment for our Armed Forces to project power, deter adversaries from interference or attack, and demonstrate credible warfighting capabilities globally.
A through-life strategic approach to IOS relieves the logistics burden on uniformed personnel. By entrusting these tasks to specialised civilian support, the military can direct their own resources towards core operational duties, optimising manpower allocation. This can be particularly beneficial during overseas deployments, where stretched forces require agile support to maintain operational tempo and effectiveness.
In 2022, Leonardo signed the Rotary Wing Enterprise (RWE) agreement with the UK MOD, DE&S, industry and Front Line Commands to fundamentally change the UK’s Rotary Wing support model. This collaborative approach to develop and deliver a progressive and modern support will see industry primes – Leonardo and Boeing – working closer together to deliver enhanced support for the AW159 Wildcat, AW101 Merlin, Apache AH-64 and Chinook CH-47.
“Rotary Wing IOS is part of the lifeblood of Leonardo and we have been delivering platform and avionics support in the UK for decades,” explains Jan Boyes, Vice President for Leonardo’s UK Sales, Customer Support and Service Solutions business.
“Through continuously improving and investing in these services, our avionics support now features several digital services that have been integrated to aid decision making throughout the support lifecycle, as well as accelerate repair times to ensure the highest levels of equipment availability and maintain platform readiness levels. At Leonardo, we are passionate about the support we provide, since it is the enabler to affect the mission and to protect our soldiers, sailors and aviators.”
Next generation IOS
As demands on the UK and allied armed forces grow, decision makers face complex challenges. Changes in the world’s geopolitical stability have forced the UK to focus on increasing defence outcomes and readiness, moving from a “just in time” to a “just in case” approach through enterprise resilience.
Emerging digital technologies such as AI/ML, Digital Twins, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Cloud Computing will be key enablers to developing NextGen IOS-revolutionising support services. This, combined with innovate commercial frameworks focussing on operational outcomes, will help industry solve some of the MOD’s biggest challenges in a volatile unpredictable landscape.
Leonardo’s deep understanding of the customer’s challenges allows our teams to address them innovatively with the latest data-driven technology. Our highly skilled technical specialists and engineers are dedicated to ensuring the platforms we support are available – when required and where they are needed – to meet the operational challenges they are designed for.