BAE Systems has deployed an Integrated Typhoon Availability Service Performance Simulation (TPS) toolset at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, UK, to assist the project joint management team in the assessment of maintenance requirements for the Typhoon multirole combat aircraft.
The system has been fielded as part of the Typhoon Availability Service (TAS) programme, which is a complex contract involving aircraft maintenance, technical support, training and asset management in support of Typhoon operations.
BAE Systems Simulation and Modelling head Geoff Pickering said the TPS is a computer game that will predict the impact of a series of scenarios on the rest of the TAS contract, following their entry into the simulation software.
Some scenarios include the affect of deployment of around ten Typhoons for an overseas exercise, or several Typhoons to places like Libya.
Commenting on TPS’ benefits, Pickering said the ability to make quantifiable decisions significantly enhanced the company’s ability to augment the aircraft’s service and also improve its operational readiness.
”A good example of this can be seen in the redesign of our support solution at RAF Leuchars, which lowered the expected operation costs while still maintaining the same level of service,” Pickering said.
”The MoD and BAE Systems have already identified around £2bn through life cost saving opportunities across the programme."
Pickering also noted the simulation enabled the team to correlate costs with operational achievement of the aircraft: ”Predictive simulation allows the team to view projections of the service as it stands at any given time, how changes impact revenue, cost and ultimately operational achievement.”
Meanwhile, the company has also incorporated the TAS TPS team-derived predictive simulation best practices into its life cycle management process to improve customer service.
Manufactured by a consortium including EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE, Typhoon is a canard-delta wing, multirole fighter designed for deployment during air operations, including air policing, peace support and high-intensity conflict missions worldwide.
Image: A Typhoon fighter aircraft during its flight. Photo: courtesy of BAE Systems.
