1.Introduction;

           Continuous Acquisition Life Cycle Support (CALS) is a logistics strategy.

           The CALS strategy has emerged upon the quest to establish a new system to replace the old one in which the maintenance procedures and technical manuals weighed thousands of tons; the maintenance and operating data were being kept manually with redundancies that is inefficient and costly with a high possibility of making mistakes.

           In the beginning, the primary objective was only to keep the maintenance and operating data in a central database and be shared at every level. Then, this objective was expanded to cover a material and system management throughout the weapon system centric life cycle including the acquisition management.

           Today, the integrated logistics with the defense industry has become a logistics strategy providing a modern, accurate, rapid and integrated logistics support to the operational forces. In other words, it is a new cultural change in the logistics system.

2. Definition.

           CALS is an integrated logistics strategy ensuring the secure data sharing by all units operating in a defense system. The data being created in the activities at the stages of the life cycle of a weapon system (starting from the requirements for a weapon system to its disposal) is introduced in compliance with the ongoing logistics procedures by the help of information technologies in a paperless environment.

a. The beginning of CALS

           (1) The CALS concept was firstly adopted by US Armed Forces and US national defense industry.

           (2) In 1984, the US Department of Defense conducted a research on using automated systems instead of manual logistics procedures by means of potential savings and efficiency throughout the logistics system. As a result of this research, a considerable amount of savings and overall system efficiency has been obtained.

           (3) A group under the aegis of the U.S. Defense Analyses Institute has signed two separate memorandums on 24 September 1985 and 05 August 1988, respectively.

           (4) CALS was only defined for military needs and the acronym CALS was then renown as Computer-Aided Logistic Support.

b. Development of CALS

           (1) In 1985, The US Department of Defense officially launched the CALS initiative. Then, the CALS concept was used for the transition to the digital environment.

           (2) In this period, the activities in the military side were found insufficient and the requirement for cooperation with the defense industry has aroused.

           (3) The proposed solution was to create a system which was able to accomplish standardization in functional and technical data and capable of exchanging data with commercial entities. The expected potential gains are:

                  (a) Engineering: A time saving of 80% in design phase,

                  (b) Procurement: Reduction in data errors up to 98%,

                  (c) Production: About 80% improvement in quality,

                  (d) Life Cycle Support: Reduction up to 50% in the technical document changes.

           (4) Beside the ongoing CALS studies, a model was developed to ensure the coordination among services in accordance with US Deputy Defense Minister Office Corporate Information Management in 1989. The purpose of this model was;

                  (a) To remove the redundancies and to fill the gap in the functional field within the system,

                  (b) To identify the needs that may arise in the future for developing methods that will contribute to the management decisions.

           (5) In 1991, the U.S. Ministry of defense took CALS up again in line with the principles and methods of CIM. The new approach resulted in drawing of a “CALS architecture model” totally embracing all the defense units.

 c. Transition from the CALS concept to CALS strategy

            (1) The CALS initiative started in 1985 became a procurement policy of US Defense Department in 1991 and turned out to be a strategy covering,

                  (a)      Change in business methods,

                  (b)      Integrated data environment,

                  (c)      International commercial standards,

                  (d)       A strategy comprised of elements of the structural management approaches.

          (2)     NATO’s interest related to CALS has grown in 1993-1994 and a NATO CALS Office (NCO) was established. CALS became a focal point not only of NATO member countries but also of many others including Japan and South Korea.

          (3)     The acronym CALS has changed to be referred as Continuous Acquisition and Life cycle support so as to cover the commercial applications.

d. CALS today; considering the point reached at the moment, may be defined as a basic logistics strategy,

          (1)     Focused on ensuring reduction in procurement duration and costs and improvement in quality,

          (2)     Using the international standards for enhanced efficiency in the commercial and government side,

          (3)     Producing, storing and sharing in an integrated environment of technical data/information about the products available in a digital environment.

e. CALS activities within NATO:

          (1)     In 1989, AC/301 material and engineering applications standardization group was formed to report to NATO Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD).

          (2)     NATO identified three separate issues related with CALS.

                   (a) Procurement: The entire activities covering the production process including the identification of requirements and design phase.

                   (b) Acquisition Logistics: Covers issues related to supply system such as the codification, inventory and material management.

                   (c)Operational Logistics: All the logistic activities right after the system being in the service until disposal.

4. The application areas of the CALS strategy in the Turkish Armed Forces are as follows:

            a.            Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) system

            b.            Material Coordination System (MCS)

            c.            Planning, Programming and Budgeting, Implementation (PPBI) system,

            d.            Computer-based contract management,

            e.            Registering the technical information packages in the electronic medium,

            f.            Transferring the technical manuals into digital forms,

            g.            Establishment of a Commercial Integrated Technical Information Service (CITIS),

            h.            Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

            i.     Modernization of the NATO material coding and cataloging system,

5. Applications of the CALS strategy in Turkish Armed Forces:

As it is considered impossible to apply the whole CALS strategy within TAF concurrently, in order of priority it is planned that the project will be conducted at three phases:

a.            Analysis and design,

b.            Establishment of information systems and pilot applications

c.            Transition to CALS Systems

6. First phase,

            a.      The first phase was started on 20 November 1997, and completed on 22 June 1999.

            b.      At the phase of analysis and design, the existing logistic structure of Turkish Armed Forces was examined, the problematic aspects were detected and a new system was designed to overcome the problems.

7. Second Phase (Establishment of information systems and pilot applications):

            a. Systems that will be used for the establishment and operating of three systems constituting the first and most important leg of CALS at TAF are as follows:

                       (1)            Integrated Logistic Support System,

                       (2)            Material coordination System,

                       (3)            Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Implementation System

            b. Integrated Logistic Support System

                       (1)            The purpose of this system is to plan the logistic support requirements of the material during the acquisition, to reduce the logistic support expenditures and to reduce the total life cycle costs of a weapon system

                       (2)            Once the integrated logistic support system is completed, all kinds of logistic support requirements needed starting from the phase of systems procurement through its life cycle will be planned, and the supply of these materials will be continuously achieved until its disposal from the inventory. It is expected to achieve a cost saving of 20% in the weapon’s life cycle.

            (c) Planning Programming Budgeting and Implementation System:

                       The aim of the Planning Programming Budgeting and Implementation System is to remove the cost differences that may arise in the implementation phase of these projects and to ensure the control and audit in the electronic medium of the resource management of the strategic planning activities.

            (d) Material Coordination System

                       (1)            The purpose of the material coordination system is to achieve the visibility of the material and to ensure that the Services are exchanging materiel among themselves with the authority established in the general staff

8. Targets:

            Targets of the CALS strategy that will be reached as a result of its full implementation in TAF are as follows:

            a.            The requirements will be determined with scientific methods,

            b.            The planning, programming, budgeting and implementation activities will be conducted in the electronic medium very close to the precision and in a considerably shorter time.

            c.            Technical specifications will be prepared allowing the provision of the logistics support to the material throughout its life cycle,

            d.            The rapid decision-making process will bring a saving of time and resource with an accurate and efficient reporting system,

            e.            The project costs: The life cycle costs will be minimized by accurately estimating of the procurement planning starting from the procurement planning.

            f.            The contract management will be secured in the electronic medium.

            g.            The government authorities will be able to intervene in the design of producers in line with their requirements,

            h.            The production activities will be controlled during the production and the guidance of the final product so as to meet the requirements (production line qualification)

            i.            Technological developments will be immediately reflected on the production.

            j.            The requested material will be delivered at the right time, right place and right amount,

            k.            Standard materiel will be used within the Turkish armed forces,

            l.            As the material will be visible not only as quantity but also with information obtained from the configuration management, the material management,

            m.            Exchange of the surplus material within and among the forces in the electronic medium in a proper and rapid manner, and the unnecessary purchasing and stocking will be avoided,

            n.            All kinds of maintenance and operating needs required by a material throughout its life cycle will be constantly made available.

            o.            All kinds of information required by the maintenance and operating personnel will be gathered in a single center, a common sharing will be achieved, and the redundant information production will be prevented.

            p.            As all the operations are executed over the electronic medium, maximum savings of resources will be achieved and the human related errors will be reduced to a minimum.

            q.            A logistics system will be established in which the procurement is conducted by a single source and maximum saving of personnel is achieved.