E-6A Hardness Assurance, Maintenance and Surveillance Program

The challenge facing aircraft program managers and the Fleet is to ensure that the electromagnetic hardness of design is maintained throughout the aircraft life-cycle. The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) community must work closely with aircraft program managers and aircraft design contractors to properly integrate the logistics elements necessary to accomplish this effort. This process must begin early in the acquisition phase and be dynamic enough to evolve as changes in life-cycle mission requirements occur. This paper identifies the Hardness Assurance, Maintenance, and Surveillance Program for the U. S. Navy's E-6A aircraft. The program includes various test techniques that are used to monitor aircraft hardness integrity and maintenance procedures to direct the hardness critical process. A database was also developed which integrates all test and maintenance data to aid aircraft hardness surveillance.