New avionics automated testing station delivered to Navy by Lockheed Martin
NewsJanuary 23, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. Lockheed Martin engineers dropped off the U.S. Navy's first electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS), which will help maximize aircraft readiness. Sailors and marines will be using the system to troubleshoot and repair naval aircraft electronic components while at sea and ashore, enabling them to return aircraft to operational status more quickly and efficiently.
The Navy expects to use eCASS on every U.S. aircraft carrier and at its Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Depots.
The eCASS will enable the Navy save more than $1 billion annually by avoiding the repair of avionics at the next level of maintenance or sending the parts back to the original equipment manufacturer, say Navy officials.
So far, the Navy has ordered 38 eCASS stations and is looking to purchase another 29, while ultimately plans to field 341 of them.
eCASS preserves the Navy’s investment in test programs, essentially extending the value of the old CASS program that consolidated 30 test equipment systems into one resulting in $3.9 billion in cost avoidance. The system can support more than 750 avionics components and a range of electronic equipment on carriers, other naval craft or at shore to cut down on the amount of gear needed for deployments.
