F-35 woes (mostly ALIS inspired) are the ultimate condemnation of the "just in time" supply method...

Thanks to Bryan for the link!

via Defense News.

When maintainers enter in orders for components needed to repair the jet, the F-35’s Autonomic Logistics Information System — which walks users through maintenance and helps manage the supply chain — will sometimes project an expected arrival of “a couple years out,” said Sgt. Pedro, a maintenance controller from VMFAT-501. Defense News agreed not to publish last names of Marines associated with VMFAT-501 due to security concerns.

“That’s [just] a forecasting,” Pedro quickly added. “Then we make a call and find out where it’s actually at, and so we get the parts sooner than what the forecast date is.”

One of the features of ALIS allows it to see the number and types of parts available across the entire supply chain, which is shared by the U.S. services and international F-35 operators. The system can reprioritize parts, so sometimes maintainers can actually receive a part as quickly as three to five days even if a longer date is projected.

However, it’s not uncommon for certain parts to take around a month, Pedro said.

In some scenarios, maintainers will “cannibalize” other F-35s — harvesting parts from one unavailable jet to repair another. That practice isn’t uncommon across fighter fleets and has been used to service F-15s and F/A-18s, but Pedro said that cannibalizing aircraft is a last resort.

“Before we start looking at cannibalizing that part, if it says a year out, we’ll monitor it,” he said. “Because the next report might say, ‘We have that part. It was going to be prioritized to that unit, but you need it more.’ So it will reprioritize that part.”

Story here. 

The part was going to one unit but you need it more????

What kind of batshit insanity is that!

Works awesome in peacetime (I guess!) but what if you have two units in combat?  Who gets what when????

This is the ultimate condemnation of the "just in time" supply method.  It's time to make Supply Sgt's great again!  Fill the warehouses, pull shit when you need it (automate it if you must so no one can build a Humvee at home and you can keep better track of stuff) but for God's sake don't make us prisoners of a jacked up bot that can't figure 1's and 0's!

The only other thing to really focus on is availability rates.  We talk all about the procurement trainwreck but aviation also has to deal with a maintenance trainwreck and no one seeks to have a plan to clear the tracks.

What good is it to buy a ton of new gear if you can't use it because its constantly broken?

That's a looming story but it won't be covered till someone dies strapped to an F-35.