Aircraft Modifications: Assessing the Current State of Air Force Aircraft Modifications and the Implications for Future Military Capability

Publication Date: September 2006

Publisher: Pardee Rand Graduate School

Author(s): Owen J. Hill

Research Area: Military and defense

Type: Report

Abstract:

The research presented in this dissertation began as a part of a study examining the costing of modifying Air Force weapon systems. Over the same time that the concept for the dissertation was evolving, the Air Force leadership was directing a significant amount of funding to research the past and present state of aircraft modifications with the goal of developing good modification policies for the Air Force in the 21st century. This increased emphasis from Air Force leadership also helped reveal the complexity of the current modification policy. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation is two-fold: First, to describe the current policy in a succinct yet thorough manner; second, to use this understanding to direct the quantitative analysis in an attempt to refine future policy to better serve Air Force needs. The research should aid future analysis because it lays some of the groundwork for a comprehensive understanding of an important facet of the Air Force aircraft modernization effort.