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At the recent Aviation Week’s 54th Annual Laureate Awards, the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Laureate award was presented to the Apache Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) program. The Apache PBL program is managed by Boeing and supports more than 600 AH-64D Apaches in the U.S. Army fleet.  CDG currently supports the Apache program with  Wiring Illuminator Web™ type-2 IETM and dynamic wiring software.

The Apache PBL team was recognized for maintaining 95% material availability across deployed locations and 91.4% for all locations in 2010. This is a stunning achievement, especially since the overall flight hours for that year were pushed to levels that were 20% higher than originally expected.

The Apache PBL team also maintained a dedicated commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of their operations. One result of these continuous improvement practices is that the components covered by the Apache PBL now exceed the reliability design specifications by over 60%.

Another notable achievement was the Apache PBL team’s diligence in monitoring and addressing component obsolescence issues. In 2010 they were able to help the program avoid approximately $10 million in costs and close out over 400 component obsolescence cases. For their achievements in this area, the team was awarded the 2009 Defense Department Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Materiel Shortages Team Achievement Award.

The goal of any effective logistics program, whether military or commercial, is to increase system and equipment availability while reducing overall costs. This is combined with a need to reduce the overall logistics footprint and minimize the impact and burden on the aircraft maintenance personnel. The Apache PBL program team is to be commended for setting such a strong example of highly effective logistics in action.

Connect here to read more about the other Aviation Week Laureate Award recipients.