CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PAKISTAN AND FOREIGN NAVAL AVAIATION MAINTENANCE POLICIES AND PROPOSING THE MOST APPROPRIATE ONE BASED ON RATIONAL DECISION MAKING TECHNIQUES.pdf

Abstract

Aviation Maintenance Policy is a framework to regulate all the engineering activities of any aviation organization. The policy presents macro view and encompasses broader guidelines to lay down the basic approaches in aircraft maintenance. It covers areas; such as the organizational hierarchy, authorizations for ascertaining suitability of individuals to work on the aircraft and/or administer planning, controlling and executing aircraft maintenance, necessary prerequisite training requirements and policies regarding Recording and Scheduling Maintenance activities. It is imperative for any Aviation Maintenance Organization to have a clearly spelled out maintenance policy to achieve and continually improve aviation material readiness and safety standards. The Pakistan Navy (PN) Aviation was established in early 1970s with Sea King Helicopters obtained from M/s WHL, UK and Atlantic Aircraft from M/s AMDBA, France. The influence of Royal Navy training facilitated selection of “Naval Aircraft Maintenance Manual AP100N’’ (NAMM) as the Policy Manual. Pakistan Naval Aviation since its inception has been using Royal Navy’s, “Naval Aircraft Maintenance Manual AP100N’’ as a maintenance regime, which was continuously being amended by the RN to incorporate improvements till 1993. Royal Navy has now converted to a tri service concept and has switched to a new policy manual namely ‘’Joint Air Publication 100A-01” (JAP), aimed towards achieving tri service maintenance regime. After Royal Navy’s switching on to JAP, NAMM has become a stagnant publication due to obsolescence. Pakistan Navy on the other hand, is using a sizeable number of American P3C Orion Long Range Maritime Patrol aircrafts and has the option to implement the Maintenance Regime of US Navy, by adapting to “Naval Aircraft Maintenance Program” (NAMP). Today, Pakistan Naval Aircraft Maintenance Organization is at a defining moment where the Maintenance regime of all times, NAMM, has become non functional, and is being felt as inadequate to meet current and future maintenance operations demands of PN. The replacement manual JAP is significantly different in its approach and US Maintenance Policy is entirely set at a diverse pattern, but PN does not possess any dedicated infrastructure and experience in Maintenance Policy formulation. The primary intent of this iv Critical Analysis of Existing and New Naval Aviation Maintenance Policies and Selecting Appropriate one using Rational Decision Making Techniques research study is to identify shortcomings in existing PN’s aviation Maintenance Policy, study and analyze Maintenance policies in practice with US and Royal Navies as viable options and selecting the most suitable option as a framework for future course of action for PN through the use of rational decision making and analysis techniques.