polymer process called Fused
Deposition Modeling — is being
used by FRCE to manufacture
depot-level tooling and kitted tool-
ing for fleet use. These tools
include sheet metal form blocks,
drill guide fixtures and chemical
milling templates. They allow us to
meet the need of the warfighter at
a decreased cost and with an in-
creased turnaround time over lega-
cy processes.”
Boeing, which absorbed Mc-
Donnell Douglas, the manufactur-
er of the AV-8B, is heavily involved
in sustainment of the Marine
Corps’ Harrier fleet.
“Boeing provides sustainment
support services for the AV-8B,
including engineering and logistics
services, on-site O-level [opera-tional unit] maintenance training
and technical services, and materiel
support,” said Philip Paul, program
manager, T-45/AV-8B programs.
“The sustainment issues faced
by the AV-8B are, for the most part, common with any
platform that is nearly 12 years out of production,” he
said. “Some of the biggest challenges stem from the fact
that a significant part of the AV-8B supply base is in the
United Kingdom.”
Paul said the Harrier does not have the same fatigue
issues that are afflicting the F/A- 18 Hornet fleet of the
Navy and Marine Corps, especially now that the planned
Harrier retirement date is 2026 instead of 2030.
“Fortunately, the AV-8B airframe is very robust and
has many years of service life remaining, with fewer
age-related issues of other tactical platforms,” he said.
“The composite wing was ahead of its time, and continues to prove itself beyond its original design criteria.
“By nature of the Harrier being a vertical- and/or
short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, it presents some
maintenance challenges,” Paul said. “The Boeing
CAM&T [Contractor Augmented Maintenance and
Training] Team provides classroom and over-the-
shoulder training to Marine maintainers, to help max-
imize their competency and expertise, which in turn
results in safety improvements and reduced costs of
unnecessary maintenance.”
Boeing provides some spare parts for the AV-8B,
“some of which are in-house manufactured and others
that are sourced to key suppliers,” he said. “There are
challenges associated with this, largely because manu-
facturing technology and materials have advanced sig-
nificantly since the time the Harrier was first designed
and built. Fortunately, we have the expertise to over-
come these challenges and meet the needs of the fleet.”
Paul gave an example of one effort the company is
making to sustain the Harrier: “Boeing is working with
NAVAIR [Naval Air Systems Command] to develop a
retrofit for the Nose Landing Gear back-up structure,
to address a fatigue risk associated with extending the
life of the Harriers,” he said, noting that conventional
rolling takeoffs add stress to the nose landing gear.
Boeing currently is providing engine bay doors and
wing spars for repair items.
Paul said Boeing works with NAVAIR and the AV-8B
Fleet Support Team in Cherry Point to develop some
proof-of-concept retrofits to maximize safety and im-
prove fleet readiness of the Harrier fleet. The company
also is working with the Navy “to demonstrate some
avionics upgrades that will assure tactical relevance of
the AV-8B for the next decade or beyond.”
Boeing has several contracts and agreements with the
Navy and Marine Corps to support the Harrier for serv-
ices such as CAM&T; engineering and logistic services;
mission systems and flight test support; field service rep-
resentatives, engineering change proposal support for
airframe retrofits; and material and supply support.
BAE Systems in the United Kingdom is Boeing’s most
significant supplier for Harrier support. Boeing also supports Harriers of the Italian and Spanish navies. ■
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG 34 SEAPOWER / OCTOBER 2015
U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced), 11th
Marine Expeditionary Unit, perform maintenance on an AV-8B Harrier aboard the
amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island Dec. 30 in Duqm, Oman. Sustaining an
aircraft that went out of production in 2003 presents some maintenance chal-
lenges for the Marine Corps, which will begin retiring its Harrier fleet in 2021.
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