DATSA obsolescence management approach

The AN/GSM-305 depot automated test system for avionics (DATSA) is an aging automatic test equipment (ATE) platform used by the U.S. Air Force on the B1B and F-15 programs since the late seventies. Originally built by Emerson, the DATSA systems are now faced with many obsolescence and reliability problems due to the ldquoadvanced agerdquo of the systems. While there is no current funded program to replace all the DATSA systems in the inventory, each air logistics center (ALC) is taking the necessary steps to improve the current situation and ldquopatch uprdquo the DATSA for their own local needs. One of these efforts, initiated by Oklahoma City ALC (Tinker AFB) includes extending the DATSA life by replacing key obsolete instruments that can no longer be maintained. Another effort by Ogden ALC (Hill AFB) has led to the replacement of the DATSA altogether with an off-the-shelf tester that already supports most of the TPSpsila for a specific program. This paper will compare these two cases - extending the life of a test platform vs. implementing a complete replacement of a test platform.