The Impact of Maintenance Free Operating Period Approach to Acquisition Approaches, System Sustainment, and Costs

Abstract

Current acquisitions, logistics, and system sustainment practices in the U.S. Navy are not fully capitalizing on commercial-sector best practices. In addition, the Navy does not have a consistent approach to system maintenance and sustainment. Could the maintenance free operating period (MFOP) approach be a game changer? This paper evaluates the potential impact of MFOP principles on processes, procedures, and costs in acquisition planning. It investigates MFOP and reviews the results of a 2005 submarine pilot program and the 2009 surface ship demonstration involving the concept. Control of total ownership cost (TOC) is a continuing initiative to manage costs over the entire life cycle of a weapon system. There are several major categories of costs that contribute to Total Ownership Cost but the principal categories are (1) R&D, (2) Production, (3) Operating and Support, and (4) Disposal.