Life Cycle Management: Operational Availability (Ao) in Naval Programs of Italian Navy

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION
Budgets for defense equipment are shrinking and human resources are becoming more critical,while the life cycle needs to face new threats are increasing. This requires a life cycle management approach for Warshipsdevelopment, production and in-service support,in order to achieve the best balance between effectiveness and costsall along the life cycle.Since this objective can be embodied by the “ratio” between the Operational Availabilityof the Primary System(e.g. the ship) and the Life Cycle Cost of the Operating System (e.g. ships plus associated support system), these two figures were identified as requirements and control measures for the "through-life management" of the Fleet.

OPERATIONAL AVAILABILITY
To achieve the required operational availability, and to maintain it all along life cycle taking into account financial sustainability, requires a new design approach to be pursued in the frame of LCM of the Warshipand associated support system,starting from beginning of the life cycle.
This goal requires proper design processes, methods, models and the adoption of analytic, simulation-and statistic SW toolstogether with appropriate recording devices to be integrated within the Ship.
During the in-service phase, a measurement process (Ao and its diagnostic KPI) is to set up in order to improve Warship availability performancesor to optimize it taking into account the available budgets.
All the above areas have been handled and developed in the FREMM Program that is an "Availability based Contract" (CfA).

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Master’s degree in electronic Engineering achieved at Federico II University in Naples on 1984. He has developed his career in Italian defence industry.
Starting as analyst in logistic engineer in the naval division of the former Selenia, he developed his skill as ILS technical manager of major Italian naval program (FSAF, PAAMS and Horizon) up to mid ’90’s becoming responsible of ILS unit.
In the second half of ’90 Selenia merges with other Finmeccanica companies until the joint venture with Marconi Ltd in Anglo Italian AMS at beginning of 2000; in the new company he was the responsible of the ILS Engineering Unit of the Italian Customer service Division. Here he settledin service support (ISS) NATO programmes such as CLS (Contractor Logistic Support) for FADR & AIMS-L radars, ISS programs for Italian Air Force radars and Italian Navy ClasseCigalaFulgosiandSirioClass (named MCO).
Beginning of 2004 he joined OrizzonteSistemiNavali,as responsible of the Logistic Engineering and Configuration Management Unit. OSN is the prime contractor and design authority of the Italian FREMM Class Frigates.
FREMM (FRegateEuropeeMultiMissione) is an OCCAR Program for French and Italian Navies andincludes a period for ISS services, called TGS, where the support of the Ships is provided by industry and Navy, according to a service model based on availability(CfA), up to 2024 for Italy.