Depot Maintenance (Non-IF)

Depot Maintenance (NON-IF) for the Navy aims to assess and extend the service life of various aircraft fleets, including the F/A-18, EA-18G, T-45, and MH-60S. The specific objectives include conducting structural and subsystem assessments to determine necessary modifications for extending the aircraft design life limits to meet Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) inventory requirements. This effort involves assessing critical structures and components, conducting stress/fatigue/structural/crack growth analyses, and evaluating subsystem components to identify over-and-above inspections, overhaul intervals, or replacement schedules to fly past design life limits. The program also aims to develop engineering data for aircraft modifications to extend total aircraft landings, catapult/arrestments, and flight hours.

The program's goals include assessing the structural and subsystem conditions of the F/A-18 fleet to determine necessary modifications for extending the aircraft's designed life limits to meet CNO inventory requirements. This includes evaluating critical structures and components, conducting stress/fatigue/structural/crack growth analyses, and assessing subsystem components to identify necessary inspections or replacements for extended service life. Additionally, the program aims to leverage lessons learned from the F/A-18 SLAP in order to efficiently assess the structural condition of the EA-18G fleet. The ultimate objective is to develop engineering data for aircraft modifications that will allow these fleets to operate beyond their current design life limits until the targeted end of service life.