Aging of U.S. Air Force Aircraft -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Acronyms -- Executive Summary -- CONCLUSIONS -- Safety -- Economics and Readiness -- Force Management and Predicted Economic Service Life -- Future Structural Issues -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- Near-Term Engineering and Management Tasks -- Near-Term and Long-Term Research -- I PROBLEM DEFINITION AND STATUS OF THE AGING FORCE -- 1 Introduction -- BACKGROUND -- STUDY OBJECTIVES -- 2 Aging Aircraft Problem -- MANAGING THE FORCE STRUCTURE -- Modernization Planning Process -- Service Life Projection during Acquisition -- Postproduction Force Management -- FUTURE FORCE PROJECTIONS -- Air Combat Command -- Air Mobility Command -- Special Operations Command -- Air Education and Training Command -- ASSESSMENT OF THE FORCE STRUCTURAL MANAGEMENT PROCESS -- Modernization Planning Process -- Service Life Projection -- ASIP and Postproduction Force Management -- 3 Current Structural Status of the Aging Force -- AIR FORCE-SUPPORTED AIRCRAFT -- CONTRACTOR LOGISTICS-SUPPORTED AIRCRAFT -- 4 Technical Issues and Operational Needs -- CORROSION -- STRESS CORROSION CRACKING -- FATIGUE CRACKING -- Low-Cycle Fatigue -- Safety Limit and Economic Life Limit -- Corrosion Effects on Safety Limits -- Widespread Fatigue Damage -- High-Cycle Fatigue -- NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION -- STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS -- II RECOMMENDED STRATEGY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEAR-TERM AND LONG-TERM RESEARCH -- 5 Engineering and Management Tasks -- UPDATE OF DURABILITY AND DAMAGE TOLERANCE ASSESSMENTS -- Air Force-Supported Aircraft -- Contractor Logistics-Supported Commercial-Derivative Aircraft -- UPDATE OF FORCE STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE PLANS AND INDIVIDUAL AIRCRAFT TRACKING PROGRAMS -- Force Structural Maintenance Plan -- Individual Aircraft Tracking Program -- STRESS CORROSION CRACKING ASSESSMENTS.

IMPROVED CORROSION CONTROL PROGRAMS -- ECONOMIC SERVICE LIFE ESTIMATION -- CONTINUED ENFORCEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY PROGRAM -- TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT AND RETENTION OF TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES -- TECHNOLOGY TRANSITION INTO AGING AIRCRAFT -- 6 Research Recommendations: Fatigue -- LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- HIGH-CYCLE FATIGUE -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- CORROSION/ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- 7 Research Recommendations: Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking -- CORROSION PREVENTION AND CONTROL -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- STRESS CORROSION CRACKING -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- 8 Research Recommendations: Nondestructive Evaluation and Maintenance Technology -- NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR -- Near-Term Research and Development -- Long-Term Research and Development -- 9 Prioritized Research Recommendations -- CRITICAL PRIORITIES -- NEAR-TERM RESEARCH -- LONG-TERM RESEARCH -- 10 Future Structural Issues: Composite Primary Structures -- APPLICATIONS AND SERVICE EXPERIENCE -- Secondary Structures -- Primary Structures -- RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LONG-TERM RESEARCH -- REFERENCES -- APPENDICES -- Appendix A Synopses of Air Force Aging Aircraft Structural Histories -- AIR MOBILITY COMMAND AIRLIFTER AND TANKER AIRCRAFT -- C/KC-135 -- C-141B -- C-5 -- AIR COMBAT COMMAND BOMBER, FIGHTER, AND ATTACK AIRCRAFT -- B-52H -- B-1B -- F-15 -- F-16 -- A-10 -- OTHER AIRCRAFT OF THE AIR COMBAT COMMAND -- E-3A (AWACS) -- E-8 (JSTARS) -- C-130 -- EF-111A -- U-2.

AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND AIRCRAFT -- T-37 -- T-38 -- Appendix B Biographical Sketches of Committee Members.