039 – “CBATS Rehost for the F-16 Signal Acquisition Unit”

Author: Mike Clark
Company: AFSC 309 EMXG/MXDEB
Phone: (801) 775-3548
Email: michael.clark.9@us.af.mil

EMXG’s support team recently completed a rehost of F-16 Signal Acquisition Unit (SAU) to the CBATS/DXR Test station. The CBATS (Common Benchtop Automated Test System) is a member of the Department of Defense “Family of Testers” that was developed as a common platform to replace unique, single end item testers with newer, supportable technology. The CBATS has replaced many such testers, including the two legacy testers for the SAU which had become obsolete and unsupportable.

Many Air Force legacy testers contain very old technology. This tends to make it difficult for such testers to attain the accuracy and definition that newer technology can afford. Often, rehost from old technology legacy testers result in marked improvement in measurable metrics for end items repaired and calibrated. While the obvious results of improved support-ability for Air Force (AF) asset test equipment are achieved, often a significant improvement in these metrics occurs as well. This was markedly so with the rehost of the SAU.

Shop through-put for repair/calibration of the SAU increased due to additional test capabilities. As the result of the improved accuracy of the test equipment, the Mean Time Between Failures for the SAU increased from 978 hours in 2016 to 2278 hours today (133% increase) effectively giving the AF more than double the amount of flight time from the previous test setup. Backlog for repair of the SAU asset dropped from 9 high priority back orders in 2016 to only 4 today. Mission Incapable Hours (hours where not having the end item available resulted in negative impact to a mission) dropped from 243 hours in 2016 to 39 hours today. Additionally, the number of days an SAU spends in the repair shops dropped from 54 days in 2016 to 37 days and the organic repair shop now out produces the contractor 20:1.