Aerospace company Boeing has secured a $92 million, three-year U.S. Army award to produce additional Next Generation Automated Test System (NGATS) units.
NGATS is a single, mobile diagnostic tool providing real-time testing in the field while supplying automated fault diagnosis of over 100 components and eliminating manual troubleshooting and disassembly of components to reduce labor hours.
“This award demonstrates that NGATS is becoming the standard for fix effectiveness and readiness in the field, enabling operations in a contested logistics environment,” said John Chicoli, director of Vertical Lift and Special Operations at Boeing Global Services.
NGATS aids in avoiding lead times accompanying ordering parts and possible depot-level maintenance. One Armored Brigade Combat Team determined NGATS saved over $26 million in repair costs in five months, Boeing said.
This year the NGATS tool will be used on M109A7 Paladin and the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. A similar test program set is being developed by Boeing to address no evidence of failure issues while maintaining readiness on the AH-64 Apache.
Boeing noted the company develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems for customers in over 150 countries, leveraging the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability, and community impact.