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Honeywell International Inc. in Morris Township, NJ won a U.S. Army contract to change the way it supports its AGT-1500 turbine engine, used on the M1 Abrams tank and related platforms. The company has said that the overall contract under the US Army’s Total InteGrated Engine Revitalization (TIGER) program could amount to $1.4 billion by the end of its lifetime.
What distinguishes Honeywell’s performance-based approach under TIGER from previous contracts? How does the program fit in with overall US Army plans for the M1 Abrams out to 2027? And what are the latest awards made under the TIGER program?
TIGER: The Goals
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Experiences in Iraq have shown the US Army that the Abrams tank will constitute a significant portion of the combat force well into this century, as there are no viable substitutes for it. On the other hand, the fleet’s AGT-1500 turbines are being pressed into service well beyond their intended life. As they wear down and wear out, it has had an increasing impact on the readiness of combat units.
The Honeywell contract will set up an approach based on full life cycle management, on terms that are performance-based. Which means a contract that ties compensation to the number of combat-ready tank engines (for example), rather than a traditional maintenance contract which pays for the number of hours worked to make them ready. Britain in particular has used this sort of approach across the board in its defense maintenance contracts, in hopes of using better incentive patterns to both raise readiness and lower costs.
TIGER: The Program
As this Associated Press article notes, TIGER will implement a more proactive maintenance system, and give the original manufacturer Honeywell primary responsibility for on-time delivery of replacement engine parts and management of repair schedules, provide support to Anniston Army Depot for the overhaul of up to 1,000 engine equivalents per year. The scope of work includes critical field support services at U.S. military bases, and in Kuwait, South Korea and Germany.
The contract also calls for Honeywell to improve service of the Abrams’s AGT-1500 engine using Six Sigma processes [simple explanation | more in-depth explanation | resources] to gather data on performance, to be followed by data-driven decisions about repairs and engineering improvements.
To fulfill this contract, Honeywell says it will rely on a Web-based database and special in-use monitoring systems. This will help it provide more effective and less expensive repairs and upkeep, using field data to more accurately determine maintenance needs and provide Army units with detailed, timely information about the mechanical status of Abrams tanks. Indeed, Program Manager Lieutenant Colonel Michael P. Flanagan promised that:
“With the TIGER program in place, commanders at every level will know exactly how much engine life remains in each tank, and be able to execute engine repairs and replacements before deploying to the field.”
Honeywell Defense & Space’s Vice-President, Surface Systems was even more specific. Mike Cuff said:
“We will deliver performance-based logistics and engineering design improvements facilitating an integrated lifecycle management approach to significantly reduce operating costs while doubling the service life of overhauled AGT1500 engines from 700 to 1,400 hours.”
Honeywell (technical support, overhaul process expertise, demand management, supply chain management, inventory control and field service/ warranty support) is teamed with the US Army’s Program Manager Heavy Brigade Combat Team (PM-HBCT, configuration management), TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, TACOM Heavy Combat Products Support Integration Directorate (forecasting oversight), and Anniston Army Depot (ANAD, newly renovated TIGER facility, workforce, warranty support) under a long-term agreement. Honeywell will provide engineering support, durability design improvements, integrated supply chain management, material management, field repair support, field and overhaul data collection and fact-based maintenance.
The U.S. Army’s Abrams sustainment & development program ultimately includes the Abrams Integrated Maintenance (AIM) program, the PROSE (Partnership for Reduced O&S Costs, Engine) program, and ultimately a new gas turbine engine.
As The Armor Site! notes in its outstanding M1 Abrams profile, PROSE Phase 1 aims to overhaul existing AGT 1500 engine/ components, in order to re-engineer the production process and improve field support. TIGER is a big part of that effort.
LV100-5 engineAs part of PROSE Phase 2, On-board electronic diagnostics and health monitoring and an on-board electronic log book, or data memory module, will help reduce maintenance requirements; the goal is a reduction of nearly two-thirds (over 65%) in operations and support costs.
Honeywell International Engines and Systems and General Electric were also to finalize development of a new LV100-5 gas turbine engine. The goals as noted by GE are an engine that offers replacement with no to very few structural modifications, reduces the parts count by 43%, improves reliability by over 400%; and addresses the M1’s current poor fuel mileage even for a tank by offering a 50% reduction in fuel consumption at idle. This would increase the tank’s operating range by up to 70 Miles with current fuel tanks, while still offering 1,500 hp to drive the M1 Abrams along at its accustomed lightning-fast clip – speeds over 60 miles/ 100km per hour have been reported. With the demise of the Crusader program, however, this particular aspect of the program appears to have been shelved for now.
These measures, plus ongoing electronics upgrades, are expected to sustain the U.S. Army’s fleet of almost 7,000 Abrams tanks into 2027.
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