Archive 2008
A Special Report: Launching the 21st Century American Aerospace Workforce
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The long-term vitality of the U.S. aerospace workforce is a priority issue for AIA. This report is a starting point for the aerospace industry to collectively recommend and develop solutions to overcome the problem. And it is an invitation for government and like-minded stakeholders to partner with us in designing those solutions. Publication Date: December 2008 |
U.S. Defense Acquisition: An Agenda for Positive Reform
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There has been substantial expansion of acquisition-related legislation in the national defense authorization acts passed during the past 10 years. Since the late 1990s, the number of acquisition provisions put in place by Congress has increased by three-to-four fold. In the past two years alone, the number has approached 100. At the same time, there is a trend towards budget growth and workforce reduction, which impacts the ability of acquisition officials to operate efficiently and in compliance with all rules and laws. AIA believes that now is the time to address those imbalances in the defense acquisition system and take action for positive reform. This report provides an overview of the acquisition system, and offers recommendations for improvement. Publication Date: November 2008 |
A Recommendation to the Department of Defense to Adopt the S1000D – the International Specification for Technical Documentation
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There is industry consensus that S1000D ought to be the preferred specification for all technical documentation procured by the Department of Defense. S1000D addresses and corrects many problems related to technical data management and concurrency. Included in those problems is the inability to keep training content current with authoritative technical sources. S1000D enables all technical documentation in support of a common system, including training, to be accurate and current throughout a system's life cycle process. This white paper outlay the benefits of S1000D. Publication Date: October 2008 |
Launch into Aerospace
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Alarmed over the critical need to develop the next generation of workers for America's aerospace industry, AIA's member companies have committed to an agenda to strengthen the workforce of the future in this report. "Launch into Aerospace" identifies the goals and actions the industry will take to address the workforce challenge. Publication Date: September 2008 |
U.S. Defense Modernization: Today's Choices for Tomorrow's Readiness
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With a new administration and Congress taking office soon, AIA is working to ensure that policymakers understand the major questions they will face next year. This report provides specific recommendations and cost of failure consequences for nine weapon system sectors in addition to logistics and science and technology activities. It details the policy choices outlined in the earlier AIA paper, "U.S. Defense Modernization: Readiness Now and for the Future". Publication Date: August 2008 |
Survey Documenting Stakeholder Expectation of the Transition to Lead-Free Electronics in Aerospace and High Performance Electronics
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There is an apparent lack of industry information or consensus as to when major lead-free events will occur in the global electronics industry, for example, when can we expect significant unavailability of lead-bearing components for use in aerospace systems, or, when will avionics assembly facilities face significant pressure to implement lead-free assembly alloys? Although there are certainly many qualifications and uncertainties regarding the available information, it may be worthwhile for the AIA-GEIA-AMC Lead-free Electronics in Aerospace Project Working Group (LEAP WG) to make an effort to develop a lead-free timeline. A “timeline team” was convened by the AIA LEAP Working Group and after several meetings established an approach which took the form of a survey. This survey addresses key issues and questions framed in a time period of the next one to two years, then out to five and finally ten years and beyond. Publication Date: August 2008 |
U.S. Defense Modernization: Readiness Now and for the Future
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U.S. military readiness is at risk due to rising defense operations and maintenance costs and ballooning personnel expenditures. This report examines dynamics within the defense budget that threaten future readiness, and outlines the consequences of using Defense Department investment accounts as a discretionary bill payer. Publication Date: April 2008 |
Engineering Data Interoperability - A Standards Based Approach
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Across the aerospace industry, the need for efficient data exchange has never been greater. Aerospace companies have increasingly focused on the role of systems integrator, relying on partners and suppliers to provide significant portions of their aircraft designs. Meeting the requirement for integration and collaboration, however, has been costly and time-consuming given the disparate set of applications and methods typically employed.presents. This White Paper summarizes the AIA Engineering Data Interoperability Group's activities, their related findings, and their recommendations. Publication date: March 2008 |
How the Aerospace Industry is Facing the Lead-free Challenge
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The Lead-free in Aerospace Project-Working Group has released a white paper on European Union directives that, in 2006, banned certain chemicals and compounds crucial to electronic equipment and aerospace production. The group; which includes AIA, the Avionics Maintenence Conference and the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association; summarizes guidelines and standards to meet the challenges of the EU rules. Publication date: February 2008 |
