Acquisition Logistics Guidelines for Improving the Argentine Air Force Weapon System Acquisition Process

Increasing costs, complexity and demanded endurance have been typical characteristics of new weapon systems during the last decades. Meanwhile, severe contraction of defense budgets makes cost effective and well-planned acquisition crucial to ensure weapon system whole life supportability. This qualitative research explores the role of acquisition logistics in the endeavor of purchasing effective, efficient, and supportable systems in four countries, namely the United States, Australia, Spain, and Portugal. Through a multiple case study, a set of concepts is extracted and adapted to be proposed as the basis of a prospective Argentine Air Force weapon system acquisition process review. Suggested improvements reside in three areas. First, doctrine should incorporate the integrated logistics support, life-cycle costs, and reliability and maintainability concepts to the acquisition practices. Second, procedures should include well-defined supportability requirements and should recognize supportability as a core issue in every project phase. Finally, from the organizational standpoint, the Argentine Air Force should consider revising the composition, training, and chain of command of its acquisition teams in order to optimize and facilitate those groups' actions.