Operational Analysis of Contractor-Supported Ground Support Equipment (GSE) at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center

Abstract

This exploratory study provides a detailed analysis of ground support equipment (GSE) maintenance and operations at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center (OC-ALC) to support future contract negotiations. The United States has been engaged in combat operations for over ten years. A key component of these combat operations has been airpower. A high wartime operational tempo and the use of aging airframes, some of which were scheduled to be retired decades ago, have solidified the need for a refined depot-level maintenance system designed to quickly and effectively dismantle, rebuild, and reconstitute combat and support aircraft. A critical part of the foundation that this system is built upon is the management of critical GSE, which is essential to depot-level maintenance operations. The purpose of this study is to provide a top-level analysis of current GSE management processes in order to better understand the effectiveness of current contractor logistics support, estimate the operational availability of ten categories of GSE, and provide specific findings and recommendations for the leadership at the OC-ALC.