PRODUCT SUPPORT

Engineering & Logistics Services

According to the Boeing website, Engineering & Logistics Services are "one segment of Boeing's integrated program of aerospace support services."

The objective?

"To rapidly deploy technical expertise and ground support to keep aircraft in the air and keep weapon systems fully functional." A type of "damage control!"

It is composed of four elements:
1) Product support and engineering services
2) Contractor logistics and maintenance
3) Integration and support services
4) Aircrew training support services

These are the locations where Boeing professionals provide their services:
-- Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada - where Boeing provides all services for the "Naval Strike And Air Warfare Center" for the Navy's "Top Gun" (!) and "Strike" schools
-- Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona - where Boeing provides all services for the "adversary aircraft" there
-- Special Operations Forces Aerospace Support Center, Fort Walton Beach, Florida - where Boeing supplies support services to the Air Force Special Operations Command for its fleet of C-130 aircraft (including the Boeing-developed AC-130U gunship)

As can be seen, Boeing enjoys a relationship with the US military that goes beyond weapons construction!



GSA Professional Services

Boeing would be nothing if it had no engineers, of course. And it happily supplies them to its largest client, the US military!

There are two contracts (so-called General Services Administration [GSA] Contracts) in which Boeing does so:
1) Engineering Services - this contract encompasses electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering. Support areas include systems engineering, facilities management, logistics, "and much more!"
2) Information Technology (IT) Services - this contract "offers a wide range of services that span the information system lifecycle." This includes computer systems analysis, applications engineering and development, network engineering, "and much more!"

According to the website, there are benefits for using the GSA contracts. In order of presentation, they are:
-- A streamlined procurement process
-- Minimal documentation
-- Broad work scope
-- Pre-negotiated fair and reasonable pricing
-- No maximum order value

To top it off, the website says that "our two-contract structure allows us to apply the right skills and the latest technology to solve the Federal Government's support needs."



Maintenance, Modifications, & Upgrades

The objective of this section 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"

Such are the services:
-- Modification engineering
-- Fleet support
-- Component and structural upgrades
-- Depot- and intermediate-level maintenance
-- Corrosion control
-- Additional services specific to each aircraft type

To provide some examples of what this all means, Boeing has laid out some concrete service jobs it has done over the years, at its Support Systems facilities in San Antonio, Texas; Wichita, Kansas; Jacksonville, Florida; and at Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona:
-- 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 aircrafts 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" (for the F-22, E-3 AWACS, AH-64D Apache Longbow, and Boeing commercial airlines 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, which will extend the service life of the T-38 beyond the year 2020, improve reliability, and make 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.

Boeing is proud of its record. As a result of all this, "the service life of some aircraft has exceeded 60 years."



Supply Chain Services

Yet another part of Boeing's "integrated program of aerospace support services," this section's objective is "to improve aircraft availability and reduce costs according to customer-defined preferences." This is achieved by providing customers with the following benefits:
-- "Demand forecasting, total asset visibility, maintenance information, and field data"
-- "Informed decision-making to identify the optimal relationship between affordability and aircraft readiness"
-- Accurate, timely shipment of supplies



Training Systems & Services

Boeing, on top of plane production, also offers training services, e.g:
-- Mission planning systems
-- Fully integrated training systems
-- Training management services
-- Courseware developers and class instruction
-- Logistic support

According to the website, "throughout the world, more than 1800 professionals work diligently to deliver cutting-edge, integrated solutions to meet customer expectations." Boeing delivers "total-training system solutions" for, for example, the F-15C, F15E, C-17, F/A-22, F/A-18, F-16, AH-64D, V-22, P-8A, ScanEagle, and T-38. Not a stone is left unturned!