By
JOHN A. LOCKARD
Vice
Adm. John A. Lockard is commander of the Naval Air Systems Command.
Since
its beginning as the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics in 1911, the NAVAIR
Team, centered on the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), continues to
provide the world's finest aircraft and technology to the sea services and
to many allied nations around the globe. More than 30,000 military and
civilian Team members at eight major sites worldwide manage and execute
148 acquisition programs that encompass more than 4,100 aircraft and
various cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, weapons, and
crew-support and training devices.
NAVAIR's
mission is to deliver maximum results for the warfighter--the operating
forces of the Marine Corps, Navy, and other activities of the U.S.
Department of Defense and allied nations. The solutions NAVAIR provides
must translate to unbeatable warfighter capabilities in future conflicts.
During
the 1990s, NAVAIR focused on developing, testing, and delivering the
Navy/Marine Corps Team's next-generation aircraft and weapons systems
within cost, on schedule, and meeting or exceeding performance
expectations. NAVAIR provided value to the nation and the fleet by
delivering the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter, MV-22 Osprey
tiltrotor aircraft, Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), Joint Direct-Attack
Munition (JDAM), Tactical Tomahawk, and AIM-9X air-to-air missile, along
with many modernization programs.
As
NAVAIR enters the new millennium, it will align its capabilities to
support the warfighter in a changing world environment. The priority now
is maximizing the combat performance of individual platforms by
integrating them into a networked striking force by using a systems
approach to extend the power, reach, and precision of U.S. naval forces.
Network
Centric Warfare is where NAVAIR's knowledge will be relevant in the next
century. This is a complex problem, and every part of NAVAIR will
contribute to the solution. With its collective experience in providing
interoperable solutions, NAVAIR has all the right ingredients to solve the
naval services' integration challenges: systems engineering, development
and testing, information technology, aviation science and technology, and
logistical support.
NAVAIR
already is linking live and simulated test facilities at its Aircraft and
Weapons Divisions and participating in fleet battle experiments to improve
capabilities. These are significant steps toward increasing the speed and
accuracy of tactical operations in a network-centric environment.
Readiness
is an even more immediate issue for today's Marine Corps and Navy. With
increased operations around the globe, the demands on naval aviation are
higher than ever. Keeping up with that demand, however, should not mean
sacrificing investment in modernization. With a limited budget, that is
likely to happen unless the sea services find a way to address force
readiness while reducing costs.
NAVAIR
must continue its key role in the Navy's Aviation Maintenance and Supply
Readiness (AMSR) study team, institutionalizing specific actions to
increase readiness and reduce maintenance and supply costs. NAVAIR's
numerous Total-Ownership-Cost initiatives, along with Business Process
Reengineering and Enterprise Resource Planning initiatives, will
contribute significantly to reducing the maintenance burden for the fleet.
Supporting
the Warfighter
The
NAVAIR Team goal is simply stated: operate as one Team to support the
warfighter. The Navy's operational environment is becoming ever more
complex and information-intense. With fewer resources and continued
pressures to increase efficiency, NAVAIR makes its capabilities and
infrastructure as integrated as the systems it delivers. This systems
approach--linking individual capabilities and knowledge to maximize
results--is what is meant by one Team. It is the means by which NAVAIR
will achieve its vision.
One
Team is a mindset that values individual contributions and idea diversity,
while recognizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Customer requirements should be met with the best mix of solutions the
Team has to offer, independent of its geographic boundaries.
To
do this, the Team is using its knowledge of where those capabilities
reside, and has the flexibility to apply them quickly. Developing common
processes and financial systems increase NAVAIR's ability to respond
quickly--delivering affordable, high-value solutions every time.
NAVAIR's
vision is far more than just a slick marketing slogan. It describes who we
are, what we contribute, and why we exist--to support the warfighter.
Working together to apply our collective knowledge and strength, the Team
is creating aviation solutions to enable warfighter dominance in the next
century. But meeting the asymmetrical threats of the future requires a
fundamental change in NAVAIR's approach. There is no better organization
when it comes to creating positive results for the Navy and Marine Corps.
NAVAIR is recognized for its ability to adjust and excel in the face of a
sea of change. That is a good quality to have in an environment where
resources are short and demands are as high as ever.
The
Department of the Navy faces significant challenges and sees the NAVAIR
Team as the key to overcoming them. Budgets are not keeping pace with the
demands of current operational commitments. Unless savings can be
identified quickly, the sea services will be forced to continue to
transfer funds from modernization accounts to maintain readiness. The Team
will help break this cycle by significantly reducing the cost and
cycle-time required to get aviation products and services to the fleet. To
improve readiness in the near term, NAVAIR will continue to focus on
improving its support of current systems. But that is only one part of the
answer. Working with industry and the fleet, the Team will anticipate
future demands and deliver new systems that increase the speed, precision,
and lethality of the operating forces.
New
threats will be harder to predict and defeat, making "information
dominance" a top priority. State-of-the-art communications, sensors,
reconnaissance, and computing systems will be required to tightly link all
elements of the battle group. Unique knowledge and experience will make
the NAVAIR Team the leader in this emerging market--integrating
leading-edge air systems technologies into the naval and joint battle
space. Partnering with industry and the fleet, the Team will leverage the
best mix of capabilities to deliver effective, affordable, and
interoperable systems that will improve warfighter effectiveness now and
in the future.
Again,
the Team has a corner on the market when it comes to solving difficult
problems. With considerably reduced resources, however, it has become
increasingly difficult to maintain the quality of support that NAVAIR has
always delivered. Now, more than ever, the Team needs to execute a
coordinated strategy to maximize its return on investment. That plan is in
place.
Business-Process
Reengineering
Business-process
reengineering (BPR) represents a meaningful step in that direction, and
will help NAVAIR preserve its critical capabilities as resources decline.
BPR is not a one-time response to budget pressures--or another tool for
downsizing. It is the final step in the vision NAVAIR set for itself back
in the early 1990s--to be stronger, faster, and more responsive. NAVAIR
has downsized and reorganized to maintain efficiency with fewer resources.
Now, its customers are demanding greater responsiveness. The Team is
continually reengineering its processes (not just updating or improving
them) to meet their needs as circumstances change.
As
for current status, the first set of BPR teams presented their final
recommendations in December of 1998. NAVAIR began implementing the process
changes in January 1999, following a series of leadership decision
meetings. Since then, NAVAIR has crafted and refined its corporate vision
by defining goals and strategies to guide it through the next five years.
NAVAIR's
vision is simple--to be "One Team, Supporting the Warfighter,
Delivering 21st-Century Aviation Solutions, Enabling Dominance From the
Sea." The vision has several key elements. NAVAIR will see the world
through the warfighters' eyes and anticipate their needs; its team members
will be valued for their expertise and responsiveness; and the Team will
deliver high-value solutions for the battlespace of the future at an
affordable price.
Four
important goals give NAVAIR the proper balance needed to achieve its
vision:
-
Increase
warfighter readiness, effectiveness, and satisfaction;
-
Attract,
develop, and care for a diverse and Team-focused work force capable of
meeting the current and future needs of the Navy;
-
Reduce
the total ownership cost of NAVAIR products and services; and
-
Reduce
cycle time to deliver products and services to the warfighter.
Each
of these goals is supported by several strategies. Senior Team leaders
representing all NAVAIR units and activities are currently refining those
strategies and developing specific action plans, along with a system for
measuring performance.
This
is an exciting and challenging time for NAVAIR. It is positioned where it
needs to be and must be--out front--and the Team is working hard to stay
there. The Team has tremendous talent and unmatched capabilities in the
acquisition business. With a solid plan, and the commitment to see it
through, the NAVAIR Team is producing the best possible products for its
people, the taxpayers, and the Navy and Marine Corps Team.
Next article:
Salt, Steel, Sidewinders, Spies, and Sharks
Back to: 2000 Almanac of Seapower Table of Contents |
