兰德-Assessment-of-Beddown-Alternatives-for-the-F_36页_909kb

Summary of "Assessment of Beddown Alternatives for the F-35: Executive Summary"

Core Content

This report, conducted by the RAND Project AIR FORCE, evaluates various beddown alternatives for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to reduce operating and support (O&S) costs for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The goal is to ensure the affordability of the F-35 program amid rising O&S costs, which have increased by over 80% in constant dollars from 2002 to 2010.

The report explores three main strategies:

1. Increasing the number of Primary Aerospace Vehicles Authorized (PAA) per squadron while maintaining a constant total number of PAA.
2. Adjusting the mix of PAA across the Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC).
3. Modifying the percentage of AC PAA assigned to continental U.S. (CONUS) home-station locations.

Key Findings

Cost Reduction Potential

• Pilot Absorption Costs: Increasing squadron size from the current 24 PAA per AC/AFRC squadron and 18 PAA per ANG squadron to 30 or 36 PAA per AC/AFRC squadron and 24 PAA per ANG squadron can reduce annual pilot absorption flying costs by over $400 million.
• Maintenance Manpower Costs: Larger squadrons can also lead to significant savings in annual maintenance manpower costs, estimated at over $180 million.
• Support Equipment Costs: One-time support equipment requirements could be reduced by over $200 million.
• Facilities Costs: Annualized facilities costs could decrease by more than 10%.

Optimal Squadron Sizes

• The report suggests that increasing the PAA per AC and AFRC squadron to 30 or 36, while maintaining 24 PAA per ANG squadron, can achieve these savings.
• However, increasing squadron size to 36 PAA assumes higher risk, as it may not meet steady-state deployment requirements within the desired deploy-to-dwell ratios.

Impact on Deployment Requirements

• All 28 beddown alternatives were found to satisfy surge deployment requirements.
• Most alternatives also satisfy rotational deployment requirements within specified deploy-to-dwell ratios, though some configurations may require further study to assess their impact on force presentation.

Beddown Alternatives Overview

The analysis considers a range of beddown alternatives, varying in:

• Squadron size: 18 to 36 PAA for AC and AFRC, and 18 to 24 PAA for ANG.
• Percentage of AC PAA in CONUS: 50% to 67%.
• Percentage of AC PAA in RC: 45% to 75%.

These alternatives are structured into Active Associate and Classic Associate units, where RC units share equipment with AC units, and vice versa.

Strategic Implications

• Operational Flexibility: Larger squadrons may improve the ability to support both surge and steady-state operations.
• Manpower and Infrastructure: Changes in squadron size and distribution could reduce maintenance manpower and support equipment needs, as well as the need for new infrastructure across existing F-16 and A-10 bases.
• Leadership Development: A more consolidated squadron structure may aid in the development of future senior leaders from the fighter pilot pool.
• Force Presentation: The report highlights complexities in force presentation when using associate unit arrangements, suggesting that these issues require further study.

Recommendations

• Increasing squadron size to 30 or 36 PAA for AC and AFRC squadrons, while maintaining 24 PAA per ANG squadron, offers the greatest cost savings.
• These changes should be implemented carefully to ensure that operational requirements, particularly for steady-state operations, are not compromised.
• The percentage of AC PAA in CONUS has limited impact on savings, so the focus should remain on squadron size and distribution.

Conclusion

The report concludes that adjusting the size and distribution of F-35 squadrons can lead to substantial cost savings while maintaining the necessary operational capabilities. However, the trade-offs between cost reduction and operational readiness must be carefully evaluated. The findings are intended to support informed decision-making by the USAF on the optimal beddown strategy for the F-35 program.