F-16 AN/APG-68 Radar System Modular Low Power Radio Frequency (MLPRF) Line Replaceable Unit (LRU)

• One of the poorest performing LRUs on the F-16
• Cracked ribbon cable solder joints
• Massive re-soldering program implemented
• Shotgun approach to maintenance
• No means or equipment to detect intermittence

Results from Intermittent Fault Detection & Isolation System™ (IFDIS™) testing:

• 400 MLPRF LRU chassis IFDIS tested:
• 147 were considered “un-repairable” completely out of service
• 33 had been in the repair depot for over one year
• 9 had been in the repair depot for over three years
• 60% had one or more intermittent fault
  • All of these defects were missed by conventional depot Automated Test Equipment (ATE)Cost of a replacement MLPRF LRU chassis is $307,000 each
• Over $39 million worth of flight hardware recovered to date
• Tripled Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) – cost savings of $11 million
• Reduction in Total Ownership Cost (RTOC) of $50 million achieved on one F-16 LRU chassis family
• Total Government investment $2.2 million – 22 times ROI to date

F-16.net Article

F/A-18 Generator Convertor Unit (GCU) Weapon Replaceable Assembly (WRA)

• Second highest degrader in the NAVAIR inventory
• High No Fault Found (NFF) rate
• High Mission Incapable (MICAP) rate
• No means or equipment to detect intermittence or reduce NFF

Results from IFDIS testing:

• All GCUs tested were previously considered Ready for Install (RFI) after comprehensive testing by the repair depot
• 80% of the GCUs tested had one or more intermittent circuit that went undetected using conventional ATE

EA-6B AN/AIC-45, Intercommunication System, Weapon Replaceable Assembly (WRA)

• High No Fault Found (NFF) rate
• High Mission Incapable (MICAP) rate
• No means or equipment capable of detecting intermittent / NFF

Results from IFDIS testing:

• 71% of the AIC-45s tested had one or more intermittent circuit that went undetected using conventional ATE

Case Study #4

F-16 AN/APG-68 Radar System Antenna Azimuth Elevation (AZ/EL) Shop Replaceable Unit (SRU)

• Grounding F-16s
• Current testing methods and equipment unable to identify defects
• Non-reparable item
• Purchase price $1,600.00each
• IFDIS testing required for GO / NO GO testing

Results from IFDIS testing:

• 95 AZ/EL SRU ribbon cables IFDIS tested:
• 76% tested bad and given a NO/GO for use on F-16 aircraft
• IFDIS is effectively identifying good and bad cables so that good cables are not unnecessarily discarded, and bad cables are not put into F-16 aircraft.
• IFDIS testing of AZ/EL ribbon cables saved the U.S. Air Force over $35,000.00 in just six weeks

Case Study #5

F-16 AN/APG-68 Radar System Antenna

• High MICAP rates
• Conventional ATE unable to diagnose intermittent / NFF issues, improve reliability or lower MICAP rates
• IFDIS testing quickly identified electronic defects and intermittent faults