Overview
Maintenance, modifications, and upgrades are one segment of Boeing's integrated program of support services. The objective is to ensure the mission effectiveness of aircraft by adhering to the following Boeing core values in providing these services:
- Rapid cycle time
- Affordability
- Preeminent quality
Comprehensive Services
Maintenance, modification, and upgrade services include the following elements and are applied to aircraft of all types, including tactical fighters, transports, support aircraft, and rotor-craft:
- Modification engineering
- Fleet support
- Component and structural upgrades
- Depot- and intermediate-level maintenance
- Corrosion control
- Additional services specific to each aircraft type
Service Examples
Boeing has successfully provided the following services at its Support Systems facilities in San Antonio, Texas; Wichita, Kan.; Jacksonville, Fla., and at Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz.:
- Painting and de-painting of wide-body aircraft
- Performance-enhancement services to the KC-135, KC-10, C-17, and F/A-18
- Aging-aircraft services on the B-52 and KC-135, two aircraft types expected to be in service for at least another 40 years
- Avionics services that utilize open architectures to provide low-risk, affordable upgrades for post-production aircraft (utilized for the F-22, E-3 AWACS, AH-64D Apache Longbow, and Boeing commercial airliners such as the 737 Next-Generation series)
- Avionics modernization for the C-130
- Development of a digital cockpit suite for the T-38 Talon and over 500 Air Force trainers -- extending service life of the T-38 beyond the year 2020, improving reliability, and making the transition to current and next-generation fighter/bomber aircraft more efficient
- Common software upgrades and maintenance for the C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III fleets
- Design and modification capabilities applied to new aircraft variants, such as the KC-767 tanker
- Digital avionics, weapons management, and additional upgrades to the Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of F-111 aircraft -- including the design, development, production, operation, and maintenance of a variety of additional aircraft and weapon systems
Results
As a result of utilizing Boeing's maintenance, modification, and upgrade services, the service life of some aircraft has exceeded 60 years.