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2015
Risks for Coast Guard in Using Rotational Crews for Cutters
Fleet Workhorse The Greyhound has been hauling equipment and people across the oceans of the world to and from Navy carriers for about 50 years. “There are 35 C-2 aircraft in service at present, with a fleet-wide average of 9,300 flight hours flown per year,” said Commander Holly Shoger, E-2/C-2 Airborne Tactical Data System Program Office (PMA-231) Modifications and Sustainment co-lead. “Since its introduction into the fleet in 1966, the C-2 has transported more than 50,000,000 pounds of cargo and mail between ship and shore, serving the carrier strike group around the world in times of peace and war, and providing critical logistics support to communities in crisis after natural disaster.” “With a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles, the C-2 can fulfill its carrier onboard delivery (COD) mission faster and more reliably than surface-based logistics transport would be able to do,” said Shoger. The Greyhound also provides transport for sailors bound for deployment or returning home, litter patients and their health care providers, SEAL teams, fallen heroes, distinguished visitors, key supplies and parts. “Wherever the carrier air wing is deployed, the C-2 Greyhound is behind the scenes, ensuring that the Navy’s logistics efforts are as smooth, flexible and agile as possible,” Shoger continued. “The C-2’s service life extension program (SLEP) extended the service life from 10,000 flight hours to 15,000 flight hours through the reinforcement of aircraft fittings throughout the airframe, Said Shoger. This effort was completed in March 2011. A significant internal wiring overhaul was completed December 2013. At the same time as the rewire, maintainers installed a Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management
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By Jennifer A. Grover
(CNS/ATM)-compliant cockpit in the aircraft, enabling the C-2 to conduct worldwide operations. This effort was completed along with the rewire in December 2013. The C-2 aircraft transitioned from four-bladed propellers to eight-bladed, NP2000 propellers to enhance the supportability of the prop system. This effort was completed in March 2014. With the last of the new model C-2As being delivered in 1990, even with the ongoing SLEP modifications, the Greyhound has maintenance and reliability issues similar to other aircraft of similar age and hours. “The C-2A aircraft experiences similar maintenance and sustainment issues as other aircraft. Maintenance is focused around oxygen systems, hydraulic systems, engines, and propeller systems,” said Shoger. The current effort centers around retrofitting the C-2A with an anti-skid brake system that will improve braking performance. “The challenges we face are with introducing new technology into an older platform,” said Shoger. “With this new anti-skid brake system, we are integrating a state-of-the-art braking system into an
In the late 1990s, the Coast Guard began the Deepwater Program, a 25-year, $24.2 billion recapitalization effort to, among other things, rebuild or replace vessels and aircraft that were reaching the end of their expected service lives and were in deteriorating condition. Deepwater documents from 1996 identified the Coast Guard’s mission need for a large maritime security cutter, which later became known as the national security cutter (NSC). The Coast Guard awarded a contract in June 2002 to a prime contractor (or systems integrator) for the Deepwater Program. The Coast Guard generally provided the contractor with broad, overall performance specifications— such as the ability to interdict illicit drugs—and the contractor determined the assets needed and their specifications and was responsible for designing, constructing, deploying, supporting and integrating the various assets to meet projected operational requirements. Also in 2002, the Coast Guard conducted an analysis that determined the vessel fleet, as designed by the contractor, would have significant capability gaps in meeting mission requirements related to homeland security that emerged after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Coast Guard decided, because of fiscal constraints, not to make significant changes to the contractor’s planned fleet, but did approve changes to several assets’ capabilities, including those of the NSC, and submitted a revised cost, schedule and performance baseline for the overall Deepwater Program to Department of Homeland Security in November 2006. DHS approved the newly developed baseline at $24.2 billion in May 2007, shortly after the Coast Guard—acknowledging that it had relied too heavily on contractors and that the government and industry had failed to control costs— announced its intention to take over the role of
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April 14, 2015