Positive return on PLCS investment

With a total expected cost of approximately USD 3 billion, the frigate project (named after the Norwegian scientist and polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen), is the largest investment undertaken by the Norwegian Armed Forces – at least until 2010 when delivery of 48 new fighter aircraft costing approximately USD 4.5 billion begins.

There is another historic aspect to the Nansen frigates. With this project the Norwegian Defense Logistics Organisation (NDLO) has implemented a policy and new method for managing “information handover” in material acquisition projects. The NDLO is the first major stakeholder to implement the ISO 10303-239 Product Life Cycle Support (PLCS) standard. In addition, 112 NDLO acquisition projects due to deliver information within the next five years are identified as PLCS candidates.

In preparation for taking command of KNM Fridtjof Nansen, the NDLO has implemented an information quality management system to receive and prepare information from contractors before installation in the Information Management System (IMS). Standards development, capability studies and implementation have been made by the NDLO, Det norske Veritas and Jotne EPM Technology. EPMT’s EXPRESS Data Manager™ is the selected database technology because of its native support for PLCS.

Commander Tor Arne Irgens from the NDLO Information Technique and Configuration Management office is in charge of PLCS implementation in the frigates project. He reported on the status of the implementation to over eighty representatives from the US Army and Navy and the defense industry who were attending the February 2006 Transatlantic PLCS Forum in Washington, D.C.

“The implementation of the information quality management system has shown spectacular results in terms of data quality,” says Commander Irgens. “The data volume includes over 11,000 configuration items, 20,000 maintenance tasks, 15,000 spare parts and 25,000 reference data. Iterative controls conducted to monitor the scope and quality of the data transformed, gives us a great deal of insight on the process. The fault rate has dropped from an initial 20% to 4.3% and is currently at 1.3% in the last data set. We are aiming for less than 0.5% errors. This system means that we can correct errors or at least mark the faulty data prior to importing it to the IMS system used for in-service support onboard and ashore. The frigates project has truly demonstrated a positive return on PLCS investments.”

The 134 metres-long Fridtjof Nansen frigates can carry out assignments in all areas of warfare, but the main function is anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Above-water-warfare is a secondary function. The remaining four frigates in the project are also named after Norwegian explorers: Roald Amundsen, Otto Sverdrup, Helge Ingstad and Thor Heyerdahl.

The vessels will be delivered every year from 2006 to 2010. The investment will reinforce Norway’s reputation as a responsible coastal nation and play an important role in the networked-based approach to defense that is evolving in Norway and among its allies.