The US Air Force R&M 2000 Initiative Special Introduction
IEEE Transactions on Reliability dedicated to the US Air are incorporated into a system from inception to producFo Transactionseon Reliability anddedilicted tM te UIition and deployment. The future operational effectiveness Force Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) 2000 Iniof our systems will be determined by how well we integrate tiative. For several years we have focused intense attention reliability and maintainability into the design process. To on improved combat readiness. At the very top of our list focus defense contractors on this goal, we have drastically of ways to accomplish this is improved reliability and altered acquisition priorities. Reliability, maintainability, maintainability. The rationale is compelling: broken and producibility now stand as the first items in the highest equipment and unusable systems don't deter war or prevail ranked areas for source selection. on the battle field. R&M improvements will translate hardIn the Air Force, R&M factors have come of age with ware on the ramp into improved sortie rates, increased priority equal to or greater than such traditional factors as mobility, decreased manpower and lower costs. All that performance, cost, and schedule. This R&M attention is adds up to more warfighting capability and, hence, more clear recognition that logistics is not just in the "nice to deterrence. have" category. Logistics is the essential prerequisite for deterrence. ~~~~~~~~and supporter of warfighting capability. Reliability and For the R&M initiative to be fully effective, it must be ain a ina modernlitic takdable. I understood and applied by all those involved in design, challenge all of you in the engineering and academic comresearch, development, acquisition, and management of munities to join me in this important initiative to build Air Force systems. R&M 2000 cuts across academic, insupportable Air Force capabilities. dustrial, and governmental lines to redefine system capability not only in terms of performance, but also in Manuscript TR8711 received 1986 December 15; revised 1987 April 21. terms of reliability, maintainability, and producibility. The IEEE Log Number 15946 4 TR >