TFD Europe Ltd

The Japan IPS/ILS Seminar & Conference 2024 will be held in Tokyo on 15/16th April at the Grand Hills Hotel, Ichigaya. Senior officials from branches of the Japanese MOD have asked EVA Aviation and TFD Japan to organise this event to inform and educate both Japanese military and industry defense people about Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), Integrated Product Support (IPS), Performance Based Logistics (PBL) and the AIA/ASD S-Series of logistic product data specifications.   The Conference will explain the fundamentals of ILS/IPS and how they can be applied to create PBL Support arrangements. It will explain the AIA/ASD S-Series specifications for data exchange of Logistics Product Data and how they can and should be used. It will bring personal experiences and insights of How To Start To Implement IPS. The event will be a foundation from which to build knowledge for those involved with logistics support in Japan by bringing together acknowledged experts from the main organisations including ASD for Europe, the Chair of the IPS Global Council from the UK’s Team Defence Information, and key members from the various S-Series Working Group. The Conference will also include leading companies with global experience in the implementation of IPS and the S-Series.   The seminars will extend beyond lectures with many opportunities to interact with the speakers and companies from Europe, the USA, and Japan who will showcase their capabilities, methods and tools. This global perspective will enrich the seminar's content for attendees with unique insights into international practices and potential collaborations. A post-conference social networking event will enhance connections between those working in logistic support in Japan and counterparts from the UK, Europe and USA. We want to help build a cohesive, globally-minded community within defense logistics.   Accessibility is vital and the organizers have ensured that language barriers do not hinder the exchange of knowledge. Simultaneous translation for all lectures and presentations from English to Japanese will be available, and the presence of interpreters will reflect the Seminar's inclusivity.   Eva Aviation and TFD Japan, with the support of ADS, TDI, the British Embassy and industry experts from around the world, have organised this event to help Japan MOD and Japanese defense industry to learn more about how to implement IPS, PBL and the S-Series effectively and efficiently. We will share expertise and explore innovative solutions in a collaborative environment.   The ILS/IPS User Seminar and Conference is a great opportunity to engage with defense logistics professionals at the forefront of their field. There is no charge to participate but pre-registration is essential. 

Last Wednesday, I presented the monthly Lunch & Learn for CLEP in the topic of “Model-based Test & Evaluation of IPS” which nearly 60 people attended. My theme was why is T&E of Logistic Support for new systems so rarely conducted when the instance of initially poor Support is so frequent ? Piggy-backing capability and safety trials is inadequate as it uses pre-production equipment, is limited. Dedicated physical end-to-end tests are ideal but late, lengthy and expensive. Model-based IPS T&E using simulation is not new but is practical, flexible, can be started early and continue through life. In 90’s/00’s, all RAF aircraft were modelled each year against 7 operational scenarios from peacetime MOB training, exercise and deployments including full contingency & wartime operations.  To quote the Commander of USAF Air Combat Command about EXERCISE DAKOTA CHALLENGE 94 which was a 6-month end-to-end evaluation of B1B logistics "Once we conduct the test, we will have a better appreciation of the limitations of the system“. So why isn’t model-based Test & Evaluation of IPS through simulation always done when it provides the most significant evidence for the Supportability Case and Contracts?

It was great to attend TDI's very productive Supportability Modelling & Analysis Community of Practice meeting today and take the opportunity to explain about UK CLEP and the benefits that membership will bring. Thank you for all the support, encouragement and especially to those who joined UK CLEP this afternoon. Please spread the word and encourage others to join. As I said, the more people who join, the stronger the Support community will become and our voice will be heard.

At 1700 GMT (12 CEST) on 28 February, I will be presenting at a Lunch & Learn organised by The Council of Logistics Engineering Professionals (CLEP).  My topic will be The Proof of the Pudding - Model-based Test & Evaluation of IPS. While IPS promotes Design For Support, Design The Support and Support The Design as a through-life approach to Integrated Product Support, end-to-end Test and Evaluation (T&E) of the whole IPS solution is rarely conducted. Full scale physical T&E is ideal but impractical. Capability and safety trials are often limited, conducted using pre-production equipment that is unrepresentative of intended in-service usage. The first user often bears the ‘birthing pains’ of introduction to service. There are rare historical examples of effective, full scale, practical T&E. However, model-based T&E of IPS using Simulation is now a practical alternative for every system. The data will exist in Logistic Product Data repositories for the Equipment Breakdown Structure, Usage Pattern & Support packages.  Multiple detailed and realistic operational scenarios can be modelled and evaluated. Issues and potential remedies can be explored. Availability predictions can be validated. And operating & Support cost projections can be evaluated from both User and Supplier perspectives to confirm contract PI/KPI and Payment Mechanisms. Most importantly, multiple simultaneous operations across the Competition, Challenge and Conflict spectrum around the world with Contested Logistics, Support packages optimised for steady state, peacetime scenarios will be seriously challenged as inadequate. War reserves needs must also be evidence-based. Model-based IPS T&E using simulation is perfectly suited to evaluate these challenges and identify what is needed. Fundamentally, wargaming must, and can now, reach down into the detail of IPS.