OPERATING AND SUPPORT

COST-ESTIMATING GUIDE

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

COST ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM
EVALUATION

SEPTEMBER 2020
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 Contents

1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Purpose.................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Applicability ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Outline................................................................................................................................... 1
2. OVERVIEW OF LIFE-CYCLE COSTS ................................................................................ 3
2.1 Life-Cycle Cost Categories ................................................................................................... 3
2.2 Cost Categories as a Percentage of Life-Cycle Cost ............................................................ 4
2.3 Overview of O&S Cost Scope and Definitions .................................................................... 6
3. OSD COST ELEMENT STRUCTURE ................................................................................. 7
3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 7
3.2 Definitions............................................................................................................................. 9
4. DIFFERENT METRICS OF O&S COSTS .......................................................................... 19
4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 19
4.2 O&S Cost Categorizations .................................................................................................. 19
4.3 O&S Cost Metrics ............................................................................................................... 25
5. ROLE OF O&S COSTS ....................................................................................................... 33
5.1 Acquisition Milestone and Other Reviews ......................................................................... 33
5.2 Sustainment Reviews .......................................................................................................... 34
5.3 Other Roles of O&S Cost Estimates and Analyses ............................................................ 34
5.4 Selected Acquisition Report ............................................................................................... 34
6. SOURCES OF O&S COST DATA ...................................................................................... 37
6.1 VAMOSC Program ........................................................................................................... 37
6.2 Cost Reporting for Sustainment Contracts ......................................................................... 39
7. O&S COST ESTIMATING PROCESS ............................................................................... 47
7.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 47
7.2 Program Definition ............................................................................................................. 48
7.3 Cost Estimating Plan ........................................................................................................... 50
7.4 Cost Data............................................................................................................................. 56
7.5 Cost Estimate ...................................................................................................................... 58

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Appendices
APPENDIX A Software Maintenance Cost Elements.................................................................. 69
APPENDIX B Indirect Support Cost Elements ............................................................................ 73
APPENDIX C Definitions for Acquisition Logistics Support Cost Elements ............................. 77
APPENDIX D Mapping from O&S Cost Elements to Budget Appropriations ........................... 81
APPENDIX E Analytic Support for Sustainment Reviews .......................................................... 85
APPENDIX F DoD Maintenance and Supply ............................................................................ 101
APPENDIX G Product Support Cost Estimate at the Component Level of Detail .................... 109
APPENDIX H Relevant Statutory Requirements ....................................................................... 123
APPENDIX I Rates for Military and Civilian Manpower .......................................................... 135
APPENDIX J References ........................................................................................................... 137
Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................. 139
Glossary ...................................................................................................................................... 143

Figures
Figure 2-1. Illustrative System Life Cycle .......................................................................................3
Figure 2-2. Major Cost Categories as % of Total Life-Cycle Cost for Selected System Types ......5
Figure 3-1. Second/Third Level of Cost Element Structure ............................................................8
Figure 4-1. O&S Cost Elements ....................................................................................................19
Figure 4-2. O&S Cost Categorizations ..........................................................................................24
Figure 4-3. O&S Cost Categorizations (cont.)...............................................................................25
Figure 4-4. Examples of Aircraft O&S Cost Metrics ....................................................................26
Figure 4-5. Examples of Aircraft O&S Cost Metrics (cont.) .........................................................27
Figure 4-6. Effect of System Usage on O&S Cost Metrics ...........................................................28
Figure 4-7. Example of Normalization of $/Flight Hour Metric ...................................................29
Figure 4-8. Example of Various $/Flight Hour Metrics ................................................................30
Figure 6-1. Flexfile Report for Sustainment Data Elements..........................................................41
Figure 6-2. CSDR Sustainment WBS for Maintenance.................................................................42
Figure 6-3. CSDR Standard Functional Categories for Sustainment ............................................43
Figure 6-4. Maintenance and Repair Parts Report Data Elements ................................................44
Figure 6-5. Software Maintenance Report Data Elements ............................................................45
Figure 7-1. Recommended O&S Cost Estimating Process ............................................................48
Figure 7-2. Typical System Characteristics and Program Content ................................................49
Figure 7-3. Nominal System Life Durations..................................................................................52
Figure 7-4. Nominal System Life Durations (cont.) ......................................................................53

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Figure 7-5. Example of O&S Phasing Convention ........................................................................54
Figure 7-6. Inflation/Escalation Index Selection Guide ................................................................55
Figure 7-7. Example of Analogy Cost Estimate ............................................................................59
Figure 7-8. Example of Cost Estimate by CER .............................................................................61
Figure 7-9. Example of Sensitivity Analysis .................................................................................63
Figure 7-10. Second Example of Sensitivity Analysis ..................................................................64

Tables
Table 4-1. Cost Element Composition of O&S Categorizations ...................................................20
Table 4-2. Cost Element Composition of O&S Categorizations (cont.) .......................................21
Table 4-3. Cost Element Composition of O&S Categorizations (cont.) .......................................23
Table 7-1. Comparison of Replacement Systems to Antecedents .................................................60
Table E-1. Track of Aircraft Fuel Efficiency.................................................................................95
Table G-1. Avionics Components Input Data..............................................................................111
Table G-2. Avionics Components Input Data (continued) ..........................................................112
Table G-3. Support Equipment Input Data ..................................................................................114
Table G-4. Technical Data Input Data .........................................................................................115
Table G-5. Training and Training Devices Input Data ................................................................116
Table G-6. Total Acquisition Logistics Costs..............................................................................117
Table G-7. Total O&S Costs........................................................................................................117

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 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
This guide was prepared by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Director of Cost
Assessment and Program Evaluation (DCAPE) for use by the Department of Defense (DoD)
military departments and defense agencies in developing estimates of system Operating and
Support (O&S) costs.

1.2 Applicability
This guide is focused on analytic methods and data for O&S cost estimates and analyses
for a wide variety of DoD weapon systems.

1.3 Outline
The remainder of this guide is organized as follows:
• Chapter 2 provides an overview of the concepts of system life-cycle cost and system
O&S cost.
• Chapter 3 provides the standard OSD O&S cost element structure. The cost element
structure is an organized and defined taxonomy of O&S cost elements.
• Chapter 4 describes various categorizations of O&S cost elements, and associated O&S
cost metrics, that are used for a variety of different purposes.
• Chapter 5 discusses the uses of O&S cost estimates and analyses in support of the
defense acquisition process throughout the program life cycle.
• Chapter 6 provides a summary of the O&S cost and related data systems that are
available to the DoD cost community, including contractor cost data reporting for
major sustainment contracts.
• Chapter 7 provides a tutorial on the best practices for planning, conducting, presenting,
and documenting O&S cost estimates.
This guide also has several appendices:
• Appendix A provides an optional, more detailed cost element structure for software
maintenance.
• Appendix B provides terms and definitions for O&S-related indirect costs.
• Appendix C provides terms and definitions for acquisition cost elements associated
with system product support.

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• Appendix D provides a mapping from OSD O&S cost elements to budget
appropriations.
• Appendix E provides a recommended analytic approach that can be used to support
sustainment reviews of major weapon systems after initial operational capability.
• Appendix F provides background on DoD maintenance and logistics for major weapon
systems.
• Appendix G provides an example of an O&S cost estimate at the component or black
box level of detail.
• Appendix H describes the extensive and demanding statutory and regulatory
requirements associated with O&S cost estimates and analyses, weapon system
sustainment, and life-cycle product support.
• Appendix I provides information on rates for military and civilian manpower.
• Appendix J provides the references used throughout this guide.
This guide also has a list of abbreviations and a glossary.

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 2. OVERVIEW OF LIFE-CYCLE COSTS

2.1 Life-Cycle Cost Categories

Life-cycle cost is defined as the sum of four major cost categories: (1) research and
development costs; (2) investment costs, consisting of procurement and military construction
costs; (3) O&S costs; and (4) disposal costs.
Figure 2-1 depicts a notional profile of annual program expenditures by major cost
category throughout the system life cycle for a program acquired using the Major Capability
Acquisition pathway. The profile for an actual program will vary significantly by system type
and the program’s Adaptive Acquisition Framework pathway.

Figure 2-1. Illustrative System Life Cycle

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 These costs occur over the phases of an acquisition program as defined in the acquisition
process. The research and development costs occur during the materiel solution analysis phase,
the technology maturation and risk reduction phase, and the engineering and manufacturing
development phase; the investment costs occur during the production and deployment phase; the
O&S costs occur during the operations and sustainment phase; and the disposal costs occur
during the disposal phase.

Note that in the standard terminology for life-cycle cost, there are acquisition logistics
support costs that are part of the program’s procurement cost. These costs are the initial
investment and a vital enabler for a program’s product support. Definitions for the acquisition
logistics support cost elements are provided in MIL-STD-881D, Work Breakdown Structures for
Defense Materiel Items, Appendix K (Common Elements). The acquisition cost elements are part
of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for each major system type (e.g., aircraft, ground
vehicle, etc.). The acquisition logistics support cost elements are described in Appendix C of this
guide.

2.2 Cost Categories as a Percentage of Life-Cycle Cost

For many types of programs, the system O&S costs will be the largest of the four cost
categories. Figure 2-2 presents the percentage of program life-cycle cost associated with O&S
costs (for eight system types).

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 Figure 2-2. Major Cost Categories as % of Total Life-Cycle Cost for Selected System Types

The percentages are based on data taken from Selected Acquisition Reports (SARs). For
programs still actively reporting at the time of the publication of this guide, the data were taken
from the December 2019 SARs. For other programs, the data were taken from the last SAR for
that program. In all cases, the data were converted to FY 2020 dollars before calculating the
percentages displayed.
Note that in SARs, the investment cost category is not provided per se. Rather, the SARs
provide separate costs for procurement and military construction. Military construction costs are
normally not a significant life-cycle cost element in most programs.
The actual percentage will vary from program to program, albeit for some system types,
such as space systems and tactical missiles, the percentages for O&S costs will be much lower.
Space systems have O&S costs primarily associated with sustainment of the ground stations.
Tactical missiles have O&S costs primarily associated with stockpile surveillance, storage costs,
and sustaining engineering and program management. Nevertheless, given the relative
importance of O&S costs for many DoD major weapon systems, this guide has been issued to
stress that importance and provide advice on estimating and managing these costs.

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2.3 Overview of O&S Cost Scope and Definitions
At the broadest level, O&S costs consist of all sustainment costs incurred from the initial
system deployment through the end of system operations. This would include all costs of
operating, maintaining, and supporting a fielded system. Specifically, this consists of the costs
(organic (government civilian and military) and contractor) of personnel, equipment, supplies,
software, and services associated with operating, modifying, maintaining, supplying, and
otherwise supporting a system in the DoD inventory. These costs include those associated with
the system-specific training of personnel necessary to support the system.
Chapter 3 of this guide provides further structure and definitions for the system O&S cost
elements.

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 3. OSD COST ELEMENT STRUCTURE

3.1 Introduction
This chapter provides the OSD standard O&S cost element structure, with associated
terms and definitions, which categorizes and defines cost elements that cover the full range of
O&S costs that could occur in any defense system. This standard is intended to be used by the
military departments and defense agencies when presenting O&S cost estimates to OSD and the
Joint Staff. Such presentations include: briefings or documentation reviewed by Cost Assessment
and Program Evaluation (CAPE), displays of system O&S cost estimates in the program SAR,
and any other briefings, reports, or displays reviewed by OSD or the Joint staff. However, there
is flexibility in that some programs may have situations where the cost element structure will
need to be tailored to the specific circumstances of the program.

It is also intended that the military department cost data collection systems and activities
conform to this standard as much as possible. However, in some cases, that may not always be
possible. For example, the standard OSD cost element structure does not use Interim Contractor
Support (ICS) or Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) as cost elements. It is intended that in cost
estimates, the analyst will distribute any contractor sustainment costs to the appropriate
functional cost element such as depot maintenance or sustaining/systems engineering. However,
the military department Visibility and Management of Operating and Support Costs (VAMOSC)
at the present time are not able to make such a distribution, and may have ICS or CLS as cost
elements. For programs with significant ICS or CLS, it will be necessary for the analyst to
augment the VAMOSC data with cost data reports from major sustainment contracts and other
sources in order for the estimate to align with the standard structure. Cost data reporting for
sustainment contracts is described in Chapter 6 of this guide.

The O&S cost element structure is divided into five major categories:

1.0 UNIT-LEVEL MANPOWER

Cost of operators, maintainers, and other support manpower assigned to operating units.
Includes military, government civilian, and/or contractor manpower.
2.0 UNIT OPERATIONS
Cost of unit operating material (e.g., direct fuel and training material) and unit support
services. Excludes all maintenance and repair material.
3.0 MAINTENANCE

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 Cost of all system maintenance other than maintenance manpower assigned to operating
units. Consists of organic and contractor maintenance.
4.0 SUSTAINING SUPPORT
Cost of system support activities other than maintenance that can be attributed to a system
and are provided by organizations other than the system’s operating units.
5.0 CONTINUING SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
Cost of hardware modifications and software maintenance to keep the system operating and
operationally current.
Beneath these five levels, the cost element structure is organized in a hierarchy. Figure 3-1
presents the next lower level in the hierarchy. Cost estimates, cost reporting, and cost data
collection may be made at lower levels in the hierarchy, depending on the availability of data.

Figure 3-1. Second/Third Level of Cost Element Structure

Appendix D provides a mapping from the O&S cost elements to budget appropriations.

8
 The next section explains the types of costs that are included in each major category and
provides the subcategories at lower levels in the hierarchy.

3.2 Definitions
The definitions that follow are the ones provided by CAPE for O&S cost estimates and data
collection. However, this document is a guide, not an instruction; therefore these definitions are
not mandatory. Compliance is recommended, and deviations from these standard definitions
should be adequately explained in the cost estimate documentation.

1.0 UNIT-LEVEL MANPOWER

The Unit-Level Manpower element includes the costs of all operator, maintenance, and
other support manpower at operating units (or at maintenance and support units that are
organizationally related and adjacent to the operating units). Unit-Level Manpower includes
Active, Reserve, and National Guard military, government civilian, and contractor manpower
costs.
While the cost elements in this category make the distinction between operators,
maintainers, and other unit-level manpower, that distinction may not apply to all situations. For
example, in O&S cost estimates for Navy ships, the ship manpower is typically estimated and
documented for the entire crew as a whole, and is not broken down into operators, maintainers,
and other support.
The scope of unit-level manpower consists of the lowest-level operating unit capable of
independent system operations, and associated augmenting maintenance and support units (if
any) integral to system operations. For systems owned by deploying units, the scope of unit-level
manpower includes the operator, maintenance, and other support personnel who are consistently
deployed with the systems to their deployment locations. 1 For example, for an Air Force aircraft,
the scope of unit-level manpower includes the aircraft operating squadron and associated
maintenance and support units in the same wing. As another example, for an Army tank, the
scope of unit-level manpower includes the tank company (resident in an armored brigade combat
team) and associated maintenance and support companies (resident in a brigade support battalion
or combat sustainment support battalion supporting the brigade combat team). However, for
some systems, such as ships, the unit-level concept does not apply, and unit manpower costs are
estimated on an individual system basis.
Costs of military, government civilian, and contractor personnel should be shown
separately in the estimate of unit-level manpower costs. For contractor manpower, Field Service
Representatives (FSRs) assigned to support the local unit-level maintenance activities are

1
For systems that deploy, the manpower that deploys with the system may be scenario dependent. The scope of
unit-level manpower in an O&S cost estimate should include only the manpower that routinely deploys with the
system, regardless of scenario.

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included in cost element 1.2 (Unit-Level Maintenance), and FSRs assigned to support other local
unit-level support activities are included in cost element 1.3 (Other Unit-Level).
The elements of unit-level manpower are defined below.

1.1 Operations
The costs of all military, civilian, and contractor manpower required to operate a system.
For example:
• Aircraft and Helicopters. Aircrews including pilots, navigators, mission specialists, load
masters, etc.
• Ships. Ship’s company as specified in the Ship Manning Document (SMD) for each
class of ship. On ships and submarines, all personnel are considered as both operators
and maintainers. The costs of all ship personnel are reported under this element (1.1).
• Electronic Systems. Network warfare operator, microwave systems operator, ground
surveillance radar crewmember.
• Armored Vehicles. Crew chief, commander, gunner, driver, loader.
• Space Systems. Operators at the ground station or similar facility.

For cases in which individuals operate more than one system, or have other duties,
manpower costs should be allocated on a relative workload (i.e., manhours) basis.
Some types of weapon systems, such as tactical missiles, do not have operations
manpower.

1.2 Unit-level Maintenance

The costs of all military, civilian, and contractor manpower that performs field-level
maintenance on the system. For the Navy and Air Force, this element consists of the costs of
organizational maintenance manpower and unit-level intermediate maintenance personnel. The
costs of intermediate-level maintenance personnel resident in a support organization that is not
unit-level relative to the operating unit, such as a Navy shore-based Regional Maintenance
Center, are included in element 3.3 (Intermediate Maintenance (External to Unit-Level)). The
Army does not conduct intermediate maintenance at the field level, but the field-level manpower
costs would be captured here. For cases in which individuals maintain more than one system,
manpower costs should be allocated among the systems on a relative workload (i.e., manhours)
basis.

1.3 Other Unit-Level

The cost of all military, civilian, and contractor manpower that performs administrative,
security, logistics, safety, engineering, and other mission support functions at the unit level.

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These costs include only the costs of manpower positions that exist to wholly or predominantly
support the system whose costs are being estimated. For systems that deploy, these costs include
the costs of manpower positions that routinely deploy to support the system. 2
Some examples are:
• Staff. Manpower required for unit command, administration, supervision, operations
control, planning, scheduling, safety, quality control of crew training, and operational
proficiency, etc. This may also include staff in a parent organization above the unit
level where appropriate (i.e., staff is primarily dedicated to the system).
• Security. Manpower required for system security. Duties may include system-level
entry control, close and distant boundary support, and security alert operations. (Does
not include base level access control unless the entire facility exists solely to support
the weapon system).
• Logistics. Manpower required for logistics support. Functions may include supply,
transportation, inventory control, fuel handling, etc.
• Ordnance Support. Includes manpower providing munitions handling, weapons
assembly, etc. Excludes any ordnance support manpower included in element 1.2 (unit-
level maintenance).
• Other Support. Manpower required to provide system-specific fixed and mobile
communications, information, intelligence, photo interpretation, and other special
mission support. Note that manpower associated with operations or maintenance of
simulators or training devices is captured in element 4.7.
For cases in which unit-level individuals support more than one system, manpower costs
should be allocated among the systems on a relative workload (i.e., manhours) basis.

2.0 UNIT OPERATIONS

Unit Operations consists of the costs of operating material and various support services in
support of the primary system at the unit level. Unit Operations includes the unit-level
consumption of operating materials (direct energy, expendable stores, and training munitions),
support services, Temporary Duty travel, and second destination transportation in support of the
unit. Unit Operations costs provided through a system support contract should be separately
identified from those provided organically for each cost element.

2
For example, Air Force aircraft O&S cost estimates for unit-level manpower usually include the costs of security
police that deploy with the aircraft. In this instance, the security police provide “inside-the-fence” protection
directly tied to the mission of the aircraft. In contrast, Army tank O&S cost estimates for unit-level manpower
normally would not include any costs for the sustainment brigade military police. In this instance, the military
police provide broad “outside-the-fence” support to the theater commander not necessarily tied to the mission of
the tank.

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2.1 Energy (Fuel, Petroleum, Oil and Electricity)
Costs of fuel, petroleum, oil, and fuel additives used by systems in performing their normal
missions. For fuel purchased from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), these costs include a
surcharge for DLA overhead and operating expenses (transportation, storage, and inventory
management). These costs may also include the cost of field-generated electricity and
commercial electricity necessary to support the operation of a system, when it can be severed
from the general energy consumption for the location.

2.2 Training Munitions and Expendable Stores

Costs of the unit-level consumption of training munitions, rockets, missiles, and
expendable stores in the course of normal peacetime training missions. Includes the cost of live
and inert ammunition, bombs, rockets, missiles, sonobuoys, and pyrotechnics expended in
training and non-combat firings such as firepower demonstrations or exercises. This category also
includes other expendable stores (such as chaff, flares, fuel tanks, and travel pods) that lose their
identity in use and may be dropped from stock record accounts when issued or used. In some
cases, may also include the costs of the replacement of war reserve munitions and missiles that
have reached their shelf life.

2.3 Support Services

Costs of unit-level support services. These services may vary greatly from one unit to
another. They may include but are not limited to:

• FSRs who support non-maintenance activities (such as training, data collection, and IT
support) that are not accounted for in cost element 1.3 (Other Unit-Level Manpower).
• Unreimbursed food services, rations, postal services (postage/box rental), or laundry
services.
• Lease or rental of administrative, computational, or support equipment or software.
• Lease costs of special facilities or land (e.g., for the storage of warheads and missiles).
• Unit-funded service contracts for administrative, computational, or support equipment.
• Communications services (e.g., data/voice links, dedicated lines, microwave channels),
port services, and other unit-funded utilities not part of base operating support costs.

2.4 Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel

Refers to a military service member's or Department of Defense civilian employee's travel
or other assignment at a location other than the traveler's permanent duty station as authorized by
the Joint Travel Regulations. This type of assignment is usually of relatively short duration,

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typically from two days to 189 days in length. Temporary duty assignments usually come with
per diem pay, covering lodging, meals, and incidental expenses.

2.5 Second Destination Transportation

Costs of transportation in support of the unit. Typically includes the transportation costs for
moving equipment, personnel, and supplies to and from training areas, remote operating sites, or
test ranges. Excludes any transportation costs included in overhead in other cost elements, such
as the overhead in the depot maintenance cost element for the transportation of systems for depot
maintenance overhauls.

3.0 MAINTENANCE
Maintenance consists of the costs of labor (outside of the scope of unit-level) and materials
at all levels of maintenance in support of the primary system. Any maintenance costs provided
through support contracts should be separately identified from those provided by government
sources for each cost element where applicable.

3.1 Consumables
This element captures the costs for consumables used to operate and maintain the primary
system at the unit level. Typically, consumables are considered throw-away items (having a
100% condemnation rate) and are replaced by new items. The term consumables refers to
materials/parts consumed in the maintenance or support of the primary system; examples include
temperature sensors, fans, oil filters, valves, switches, probes, coolants, deicing fluids, lubricants,
gaskets, capacitors, and batteries. Consumables can be system unique or items that are bought in
bulk for multiple systems. The cost for this element includes the costs of direct material for the
items, as well as transportation, storage, warehousing, inventory management, and other
overhead.
Additionally, the costs of all other unit-level consumables are included. Illustrative
examples include computer supplies, paper, charts, maps, and administrative supplies used for
housekeeping and health and safety.

3.2 Depot Level Reparables (DLRs)

A DLR is a reparable item/component that is repaired at the depot level of maintenance.
DLR costs are incurred largely at the unit level. Typically, when a DLR item requires
maintenance, the item is removed from the system and replaced with another item from
inventory. This remove and replace action usually takes place at the unit level. When unit
maintenance turns in a “failed” item/component, that organization is charged with an exchange
price. This exchange price includes the cost of direct labor and material for item repairs along
with transportation, storage, inventory management, and other overhead. If unit maintenance
does not have a “failed” item/component to return to the supply system, that organization is

13
charged with a standard price. The standard price includes the new item/component purchase
price along with attrition, transportation, storage, inventory management, and other overhead.
The DLR element captures the costs of repair of depot level reparable items, as well as the
replacement of condemned DLR items.

3.3 Intermediate Maintenance (External to Unit-Level)

Consists of the costs of labor, material, and any other costs expended at intermediate
maintenance locations (such as Navy afloat or ashore Intermediate Maintenance Activities) in
support of the primary system. This cost element excludes any manpower or material costs for
intermediate maintenance that is considered unit-level, as described earlier. Includes the costs for
consumables, government labor, contractor maintenance, and any other intermediate-level
maintenance costs not otherwise accounted for.

3.4 Depot Maintenance

Depot maintenance is the cost of labor, material, and overhead incurred in performing
major overhauls or other similar depot-level maintenance on a system or any of its major end
items (e.g., aircraft engines) at centralized repair depots, contractor repair facilities, or onsite by
depot teams.
Some overhaul activities occur at time intervals ranging from several months to several
years. For primary systems (e.g., aircraft, tracked vehicles, ships), these costs should be included
in the estimate for the years in which they are expected to occur, accompanied by documentation
on the cost per event and the time interval between overhaul events.
Costs of major end items that have different overhaul cycles (i.e., structural subsystems
such as hull, frame, or airframe; power subsystems such as engines or drive train; and
electronic/mechanical subsystems such as fire control system, armaments, guidance, or
command and control equipment) should be estimated and identified separately within this
element. In some cases, the interval between end item overhauls may be expressed in terms of
system operating hours (and not calendar time).

4.0 SUSTAINING SUPPORT

This category includes support activities provided by centrally managed organizations
external to the units that own the operating systems. Sustaining support costs provided through a
system support contract should be identified separately from those provided organically for each
cost element. All efforts should be made to collect and report in accordance with this cost
element structure for sustaining support. However, sustaining support cost elements may be
combined as necessary if the costs cannot be made available at the level of detail called for in
this guide.

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4.1 System-Specific Training
The costs of system-specific specialty training of individuals in the system operating units
or individuals who are replacing people in the system operating units due to attrition and normal
rotation 3. Training costs should include the costs of instructors, training support personnel, per
diem and travel directly associated with the training, and any costs for trainees not accounted for
elsewhere. For individuals already assigned to a system operating unit, any expenses for the
travel of individuals from operational units to training assignment, and return, are included in the
Temporary Duty Travel (element 2.3). The costs of maintenance or periodic refresh of the
training equipment or devices is accounted for in element 4.7. The two cost elements below
capture costs for training individuals prior to their first assignment in a system operating unit.

4.1.1 System-Specific Operator Training

The costs for training conducted in units designated as primary training sites for individuals
to become proficient in specific system knowledge. This includes units such as Air Force wings
assigned a primary mission of weapon-specific aircrew training, Navy air readiness training
units, Navy Afloat Training Groups, and the Army Armor Center. These costs do not include
skill training not related to a specific system, such as undergraduate aviation training.

4.1.2 System-Specific Maintenance Training

The costs of advanced system-specific training associated with maintenance functions in
units designated as primary training facilities.

4.2 Support Equipment Replacement and Repair

The costs incurred to replace or repair unit-level support equipment associated with the
primary system or its major subsystems 4. The support equipment (e.g., tools and test sets) may
be peculiar to the system or it may be common to a number of systems, in which case the costs
must be allocated among the respective systems.

4.3 Sustaining/Systems Engineering

Costs reported in this element capture the government and contractor sustaining
engineering to ensure the continuing viable operation of the system in the deployed environment.
Most of the sustaining engineering effort during the sustainment phase will be a continuation of
the earlier systems engineering effort that took place during the program Engineering and
Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase and the production and deployment phase. Sustaining

3
This element includes the costs of recurring training activities that occur during the operations and sustainment
phase. However, the costs of initial training equipment and training course materials are regarded as investment
costs, and not as an O&S cost.
4
This includes replacement and repair of support equipment. However, the cost of initial support equipment
procurement is an investment cost, not as an O&S cost.

15
engineering activities may be resident in the system program office organization, and/or they
may be resident in external organizations. Examples of sustaining engineering activities include
aircraft structural integrity monitoring or corrosion monitoring; planning and control of technical
program efforts; continuing system requirements definition; safety and human systems
integration engineering; obsolescence engineering; configuration management; and continuing
specialty engineering, such as Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) Engineering. Specific
modifications to hardware or software are included in element 5.0 (Continuing System
Improvements). Sustaining engineering costs provided through a system support contract should
be identified separately from costs associated with organic sources, if possible.

4.4 Program Management 5

This element includes government and contractor costs for management activities
associated with the administrative, business, and financial management of the program. Program
management activities performed during the sustainment phase are, in most cases, a continuation
of those performed during the EMD phase and the production and deployment phase. Program
management activities may be resident in the system program office organization, and/or they
may be resident in external organizations. Program management provided through a support
contract should be identified separately from program management provided by organic sources,
if possible.

4.5 Data and Technical Publications

The costs associated with maintaining and updating deliverable data and technical
publications and manuals concerning the operation and support of the system 6.

4.6 Simulator Operations and Repair

Costs to operate and repair simulators and other training devices for the primary system or
its major subsystems. This consists of the costs of labor, material, and overhead for simulator
operations and repair. Also includes the cost of periodic replacement of simulator hardware and
software.

4.7 Other Sustaining Support

Costs of any sustaining support not otherwise accounted for. This cost element may be
used to identify expenses such as those listed below, if they apply to the system for which the
estimate is being made:
• Test and evaluation 7 in support of deployed systems, such as range costs, test support,
data reduction, and test reporting.

5
Cost elements 4.3 and 4.4 may be combined if these costs cannot be identified separately.
6
This element addresses only data and publications maintenance. The cost of developing the data and publications
is normally regarded as an investment cost, and not as an O&S cost.

16
 • Air, sea, and land support not funded by the unit and provided by other activities to
verify the proper operation of an electronic, communication, sensor, or other similar
system.
• Communication services (e.g., data/voice links, dedicated lines, microwave channels),
hardware, and software leases purchased on a DoD-wide or Service-wide basis for
direct system-specific support of a system. Note that communications services
purchased at the unit-level are contained in element 2.2 (Support Services).
• Centrally funded purchases for transportation of system materiel (end items and
secondary items) not otherwise accounted for in the cost element structure.
It should be noted that costs for firing ranges or training ranges are not usually regarded as
system costs and are not included in O&S cost estimates.

5.0 CONTINUING SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

This portion of the cost element structure includes the costs of hardware and software
updates that occur after deployment of a system that improve a system's safety, reliability, or
maintainability, or otherwise enable the system to meet its basic original operational requirements
throughout its life.

It is intended that cost estimates for these improvements conform to the definitions
provided in this guide. However, at the present time, the military department VAMOSC systems
are not able to separate the costs for system improvements that include new operational
capabilities from the costs for other system improvements. When using VAMOSC cost data in
developing cost estimates, analysts must use additional data sources and strategies to remove the
costs of system improvements that provide new operational capabilities.

These costs include government and contract labor, materials, and overhead costs. Costs
should be separated into government and contractor costs within each cost element, if applicable.

5.1 Hardware Modifications

The cost of procurement, and installation of modification kits. May also include costs
associated with the modifications for support equipment, training equipment, technical
publications/data, and initial spares and repair parts (consistent with the approved modification
content). This cost element only includes those modifications needed to achieve acceptable
safety levels, overcome mission capability deficiencies, improve reliability, reduce maintenance
costs, or maintain the system service life. It excludes modifications undertaken to provide
additional operational capability not called for in the original system design or performance

7
This is intended to record periodic testing of operational assets, structured to confirm that the system continues to
retain its operational capabilities. This would not include testing to support development activities or testing
integral to system hardware modifications or software maintenance.

17
specifications, or extend the system service life beyond what was originally planned. It also
excludes retrofit modifications that update earlier fielded systems to the latest production
configuration.

5.2 Software Maintenance

All cost and effort incurred to alter, sustain, and support the system software baseline.
Includes software maintenance that changes the software baseline for adaptive, corrective,
perfective, additive, and preventive maintenance. Includes efforts related to defect corrections,
modifications, and patches applied to the software and software-specific support activities. Also
includes costs for software licenses, hosting, and facilities. Excludes the costs of development of
new requirements that are major enhancements or significant increases in capability.
Appendix A has an optional, more detailed cost element structure for software
maintenance. This cost element structure includes correction of deficiencies, cybersecurity,
independent verification and validation, program management, sustaining engineering, facilities,
certification and accreditation, help desk support, hosting (in a traditional data center or in the
cloud), and software licenses.

18
 4. DIFFERENT METRICS OF O&S COSTS

4.1 Introduction
Various analyses, reports, and budget documents associated with system O&S costs use a
wide variety of categorizations and metrics. A lack of standardization on these categorizations
and metrics has resulted in confusion in their application. The remainder of this chapter is
intended to clarify this situation.

4.2 O&S Cost Categorizations

A variety of O&S cost categorizations include or exclude different combinations of the
O&S cost elements. These O&S cost elements, which are defined in Chapter 3, are shown again
in Figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1. O&S Cost Elements

19
 The remainder of this section provides standardized definitions for the O&S cost
categorizations (i.e., groups of cost elements) commonly used. These categorizations have been
developed for different purposes and provide different perspectives on those O&S costs relevant
to each purpose. Table 4-1 shows the first three categorizations.

Table 4-1. Cost Element Composition of O&S Categorizations

Operating and Support Parts Cost OPTEMPO Programs
1.0 Unit-Level Manpower 1.0 Unit-Level Manpower 1.0 Unit-Level Manpower
1.1 Operations Manpower 1.1 Operations Manpower 1.1 Operations Manpower
1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower 1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower 1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower
1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower 1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower 1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower
2.0 Unit Operations 2.0 Unit Operations 2.0 Unit Operations
2.1 Energy 2.1 Energy 2.1 Energy
2.2 Munitions & Stores 2.2 Munitions & Stores 2.2 Munitions & Stores
2.3 Support Services 2.3 Support Services 2.3 Support Services
2.4 Temporary Duty Travel 2.4 Temporary Duty Travel 2.4 Temporary Duty Travel
2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation 2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation 2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation
3.0 Maintenance 3.0 Maintenance 3.0 Maintenance
3.1 Consumables 3.1 Consumables 3.1 Consumables
3.2 Depot Level Reparables 3.2 Depot Level Reparables 3.2 Depot Level Reparables
3.3 Intermediate Maintenance 3.3 Intermediate Maintenance 3.3 Intermediate Maintenance
3.4 Depot Maintenance 3.4 Depot Maintenance 3.4 Depot Maintenance
4.0 Sustaining Support 4.0 Sustaining Support 4.0 Sustaining Support
4.1 System-Specific Training 4.1 System-Specific Training 4.1 System-Specific Training
4.2 SE Replacement and Repair 4.2 SE Replacement and Repair 4.2 SE Replacement and Repair
4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering 4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering 4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering
4.4 Program Management 4.4 Program Management 4.4 Program Management
4.5 Data and Technical Pubs 4.5 Data and Technical Pubs 4.5 Data and Technical Pubs
4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair 4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair 4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair
4.7 Other Sustaining Support 4.7 Other Sustaining Support 4.7 Other Sustaining Support
5.0 Continuing Improvements 5.0 Continuing Improvements 5.0 Continuing Improvements
5.1 Hardware Modifications 5.1 Hardware Modifications 5.1 Hardware Modifications
5.2 Software Maintenance 5.2 Software Maintenance 5.2 Software Maintenance

The first three categorizations are described below:

• Operating and Support. This categorization is used for most O&S cost estimates and
reporting of O&S costs in program SARs.
• Parts Cost. This categorization simply captures the parts costs for consumable and
reparable items. This is often expressed as a cost per unit of usage, where the unit of
usage is flying hour, vehicle mile, or something similar.

20
 • OPTEMPO Programs. This categorization appears in the budget documents that are
used to justify the military service operating tempo (OPTEMPO) budgets. For example,
the OP-20 budget exhibit is used for aircraft flying hours, the OP-25 is used for ground
vehicle operations, and the OP-41 is used for ship operations. These exhibits are further
described in Appendix E.
Table 4-2 shows the next three categorizations.

Table 4-2. Cost Element Composition of O&S Categorizations (cont.)

DoD Reimbursement Rates Total Maintenance Logistics Factors
1.0 Unit-Level Manpower 1.0 Unit-Level Manpower 1.0 Unit-Level Manpower
1.1 Operations Manpower 1.1 Operations Manpower 1.1 Operations Manpower
1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower 1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower 1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower
1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower 1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower 1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower
2.0 Unit Operations 2.0 Unit Operations 2.0 Unit Operations
2.1 Energy 2.1 Energy 2.1 Energy
2.2 Munitions & Stores 2.2 Munitions & Stores 2.2 Munitions & Stores
2.3 Support Services 2.3 Support Services 2.3 Support Services
2.4 Temporary Duty Travel 2.4 Temporary Duty Travel 2.4 Temporary Duty Travel
2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation 2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation 2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation
3.0 Maintenance 3.0 Maintenance 3.0 Maintenance
3.1 Consumables 3.1 Consumables 3.1 Consumables
3.2 Depot Level Reparables 3.2 Depot Level Reparables 3.2 Depot Level Reparables
3.3 Intermediate Maintenance 3.3 Intermediate Maintenance 3.3 Intermediate Maintenance
3.4 Depot Maintenance 3.4 Depot Maintenance 3.4 Depot Maintenance
4.0 Sustaining Support 4.0 Sustaining Support 4.0 Sustaining Support
4.1 System-Specific Training 4.1 System-Specific Training 4.1 System-Specific Training
4.2 SE Replacement and Repair 4.2 SE Replacement and Repair 4.2 SE Replacement and Repair
4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering 4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering 4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering
4.4 Program Management 4.4 Program Management 4.4 Program Management
4.5 Data and Technical Pubs 4.5 Data and Technical Pubs 4.5 Data and Technical Pubs
4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair 4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair 4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair
4.7 Other Sustaining Support 4.7 Other Sustaining Support 4.7 Other Sustaining Support
5.0 Continuing Improvements 5.0 Continuing Improvements 5.0 Continuing Improvements
5.1 Hardware Modifications 5.1 Hardware Modifications 5.1 Hardware Modifications
5.2 Software Maintenance 5.2 Software Maintenance 5.2 Software Maintenance

These three categorizations are described below:

• DoD Reimbursement Rates. These costs are used to calculate reimbursement rates
that are published each year in the annual DoD Fixed Wing and Helicopter

21
 Reimbursement Rates. These forward-looking rates, expressed in terms of dollars per
flight hour, are used to charge DoD customers that use the aircraft on a cost-
reimbursable basis. The rates are slightly different for non-DoD customers. These rates
are updated each year, and are posted on the OSD Comptroller website
(https://comptroller.defense.gov/Financial-Management/Reports). These rates also
include a portion of CLS that is regarded as variable with respect to flying hours. CLS
is not an element in the O&S cost element structure, but is used in O&M
appropriations. DoD 7000.14-R, Financial Management Regulation, Volume 11A,
Chapter 6, Appendix E provides guidance on the reimbursement rates.
• Total Maintenance. This categorization is used by some organizations to help assess
the efficiency of a system’s maintenance activities from a broad perspective beyond
element 3.0. This is often expressed as a cost per unit of usage.
• Logistics Factors. Some organizations use this particular categorization for analyses of
resources and cost factors for certain weapon system logistics elements.
Table 4-3 shows the last two categorizations.

22
 Table 4-3. Cost Element Composition of O&S Categorizations (cont.)
Direct Operating Operational
1.0 Unit-Level Manpower 1.0 Unit-Level Manpower
1.1 Operations Manpower 1.1 Operations Manpower
1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower 1.2 Unit-Level Maint Manpower
1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower 1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower
2.0 Unit Operations 2.0 Unit Operations
2.1 Energy 2.1 Energy
2.2 Munitions & Stores 2.2 Munitions & Stores
2.3 Support Services 2.3 Support Services
2.4 Temporary Duty Travel 2.4 Temporary Duty Travel
2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation 2.5 2nd Dest. Transportation
3.0 Maintenance 3.0 Maintenance
3.1 Consumables 3.1 Consumables
3.2 Depot Level Reparables 3.2 Depot Level Reparables
3.3 Intermediate Maintenance 3.3 Intermediate Maintenance
3.4 Depot Maintenance 3.4 Depot Maintenance
4.0 Sustaining Support 4.0 Sustaining Support
4.1 System-Specific Training 4.1 System-Specific Training
4.2 SE Replacement and Repair 4.2 SE Replacement and Repair
4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering 4.3 Sust./Systems Engineering
4.4 Program Management 4.4 Program Management
4.5 Data and Technical Pubs 4.5 Data and Technical Pubs
4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair 4.6 Simulator Ops and Repair
4.7 Other Sustaining Support 4.7 Other Sustaining Support
5.0 Continuing Improvements 5.0 Continuing Improvements
5.1 Hardware Modifications 5.1 Hardware Modifications
5.2 Software Maintenance 5.2 Software Maintenance

These two categorizations are described below:

• Direct Operating. This element consists of all of the O&S cost elements except for
energy, hardware modifications and software maintenance. Some organizations use this
categorization to help assess the efficiency of a system’s operations and maintenance
activities (excluding energy). This is often expressed as a cost per unit of usage.
• Operational. Some organizations use this particular categorization for analyses of
resources for weapon system operations.
Figures 4-2 and 4-3 summarize the various O&S cost categorizations.

23
Figure 4-2. O&S Cost Categorizations

24
 Figure 4-3. O&S Cost Categorizations (cont.)

4.3 O&S Cost Metrics

Measuring the magnitude of a system’s O&S costs uses a wide variety of metrics. The most
common metrics are usually some form of ratio. The numerator in the metric would be the cost
categorization used. The denominator in the metric would be the unit of measure.
There are three types of metrics commonly used. The first type of metric is dollars per
system per year, where a system is an aircraft, vessel, vehicle, or some other type of system. The
second type of metric is dollars per unit of usage or OPTEMPO. Ship and submarine costs are
not normally measured this way since “steaming hours” does not represent a consistent unit of
measure across ship classes and these platforms have a high fixed cost that is largely insensitive
to steaming hours. The third type of metric is dollars per typical or notional unit per year, where
the unit is a squadron, platoon, or something equivalent.
One common use for these metrics is to compare the costs of a new system to its
antecedent system or other systems. O&S cost metrics can be useful when comparing different
systems, but such comparisons have to be made and conveyed carefully. When comparisons are

25
made without due diligence, confusion occurs and erroneous conclusions can be reached. This
section provides some examples where such problems have commonly happened.
As one example, senior leaders may ask for data on cost per unit of usage, something like
cost per flight hour for a group of similar systems. However, the leaders typically do not specify
the categorization or content that should be used for the cost (numerator) in the metric. A term
such as cost per flying hour means something different to different people. Some people in one
part of the leader’s organization might respond with a reimbursement rate, and other people in
another part of the organization might respond with the complete O&S cost.
Figures 4-4 and 4-5 show an example of how the use of different categorizations produce
very different results for cost per system per year, and cost per flying hour, for an aircraft.

Figure 4-4. Examples of Aircraft O&S Cost Metrics

26
 Figure 4-5. Examples of Aircraft O&S Cost Metrics (cont.)

Note that the values for cost per aircraft per year are displayed using the vertical axis on the
left, and the values for cost per flying hour are displayed using the vertical axis on the right.
Other issues can arise with O&S cost metrics even when the same categorization is used.
Even in such cases, the cost per unit of usage for different systems is usually not comparable
when the systems have different usage or OPTEMPO rates. Not all of the CAPE O&S cost
elements would vary with changes in usage, and therefore would remain fixed. The cost elements
in the OPTEMPO Programs categorization (fuel, consumables, and DLRs) and the costs for
training munitions and expendable stores are those most likely to vary with changes to system
usage on a total cost basis, but remain constant on a cost per unit of usage basis. Some cost
elements such as unit-level manpower, depot maintenance, and hardware modifications do not
vary with usage, but do vary with changes in system quantity. And other costs, much of the
sustaining support and software maintenance, for the most part do not vary with changes in usage
or system quantity.
Figure 4-6 shows the effect of changes to system usage on some O&S cost metrics for an
aircraft system.

27
 Figure 4-6. Effect of System Usage on O&S Cost Metrics

In this example, there are two O&S cost metrics. The first is $ million/aircraft/year, and the
second is $/flight hour. The two metrics are displayed for increasing levels of system usage,
ranging from 250 to 650 flight hours/aircraft/year. The $ million/aircraft values are displayed
using the vertical axis on the left, and the $/flight hour values are displayed using the vertical
axis on the right. The key point here is that the values of the $/flight hour metric decrease with
increases in flying hours. This is because the fixed O&S cost elements are being divided over a
larger base. Cost per unit of usage and cost per system per year can be useful, but have
limitations. It is best to use an array of metrics along with total costs when conveying the
comparative costs of systems.
The key point is that when making comparisons between systems with different usage
rates, and comparing those on a cost per unit of usage, normalizing for usage should be
considered when the systems are similar and have similar missions. Figure 4-7 shows an
example of a normalization technique.

28
 Figure 4-7. Example of Normalization of $/Flight Hour Metric

In this example, a comparison of O&S costs is being made between two aircraft with
different usage (flying hour) rates. As before, $ million/aircraft/year is displayed using the
vertical axis on the left, and the $/flight hour is displayed using the vertical axis on the right.
Without normalization, the $/flight hour metric is seriously distorted and misleading. In this
example, without normalization, the $ million/aircraft for Aircraft 2 is roughly 25 percent less
than for Aircraft 1, and yet the $/flying hour for Aircraft 2 is only 3 percent less than for
Aircraft 1.
With normalization of usage rate, it is possible to make more meaningful comparisons
between Aircraft 1 and Aircraft 2. In this example, the normalization is made by recalculating
the $/flight hour for the Aircraft 2 active duty using the same flying hour rate as the Aircraft 1
active duty aircraft. This was done by assuming that four cost elements (fuel, training munitions,
consumables, and DLRs) vary with changes in flying hours on a total cost basis, but remain
constant on a dollar per flight hour basis. It was also assumed that the other cost elements do not
vary with changes in flying hours. This allows a more accurate comparison of the relative costs
between Aircraft 1 and Aircraft 2. With normalization, both the $ million/aircraft and the
$/flying hour for Aircraft 2 are roughly 15 percent less than for Aircraft 1.

29
 More generally, O&S cost metrics can easily be misapplied and muddled, leading to
erroneous comparisons and conclusions. There are two reasons for such confusion. First, any
O&S cost metric is based on a given categorization. Second, it also depends on many different
ground rules and assumptions. The confusion arises when the categorizations and ground rules
are not clearly identified. Figure 4-8 provides an example of a $K/flight hour metric for an
aircraft system.

Figure 4-8. Example of Various $/Flight Hour Metrics

In this example, there are six versions of the $K/flight hour metric, each with a significantly
different numerical value. The differences arise due to dissimilar data sources, year dollars,
timeframe of the metric, categorizations, and assumed usage or OPTEMPO.
The use of consistent, well-defined metrics normalized for major usage differences is
important in communicating comparisons across weapon systems with senior leaders. It is a best
practice in presenting these metrics to provide an accompanying description of the metric and
normalization used to develop the comparison. Analysts should select the appropriate metric and

30
make normalization when necessary to ensure large usage or quantity differences do not mislead
the audience.

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 5. ROLE OF O&S COSTS

5.1 Acquisition Milestone and Other Reviews

For Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs)—which are one type of Major
Capability Acquisition programs—life-cycle cost estimates are required to be presented to the
Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) in advance of milestone reviews, and O&S costs are an
important element in these estimates. Normally, in fact, there are two estimates that are prepared
for these reviews. One estimate is the Component Cost Position (CCP), and the other estimate is
an Independent Cost Estimate (ICE) prepared by either CAPE or the responsible Service cost
agency or Defense Agency equivalent. When the preparation of the ICE is delegated by CAPE to
the Component, CAPE reviews and approves the ICE. In cases where the ICE is delegated, the
ICE may be incorporated into the CCP. For other acquisition programs below MDAP 8 dollar
thresholds, cost estimates are prepared in accordance with guidance issued by each Service cost
agency or Defense Agency equivalent.
Life-cycle cost estimates are also required for Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA)
programs. The MTA process provides two possible acquisition pathways: (1) rapid prototyping
(prototypes with innovative technologies), and (2) rapid fielding (new or upgraded systems with
minimal development). For the rapid prototyping programs likely to exceed MDAP dollar
thresholds, CAPE will prepare an estimate of life-cycle costs for the program, or choose to
delegate the authority for the conduct of the cost estimate to the Service cost agency or Defense
Agency equivalent. For the rapid prototyping programs below the MDAP dollar thresholds, cost
estimates will be prepared in accordance with guidance issued by the responsible Service cost
agency or Defense Agency equivalent. For the rapid fielding programs likely to exceed MDAP
or major system 9 dollar thresholds, CAPE will prepare an estimate of life-cycle costs for the
program, or choose to delegate the authority for the conduct of the cost estimate to the Service
cost agency or Defense Agency equivalent. For the rapid fielding programs below the major
system dollar thresholds, estimates will be prepared in accordance with guidance issued by the
responsible Service cost agency or Defense Agency equivalent.
Further details on CAPE policy and guidance for cost estimates for MDAPs and MTA
programs are provided in DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.73, Cost Analysis Guidance and
Procedures.

8
An MDAP is a program with expenditures expected to exceed $525 million (FY 2020 constant dollars) for
research, development, test and evaluation, or $3.065 billion (FY 2020 constant dollars) for procurement.
9
A major system is a program with expenditures expected to exceed $200 million (FY 2020 constant dollars) for
research, development, test and evaluation, or $920 million (FY 2020 constant dollars) for procurement.

33
5.2 Sustainment Reviews
Recent legislation now requires that each military department shall conduct a sustainment
review of each major weapon system not later than five years after declaration of initial
operational capability (IOC) and throughout its life cycle. Each sustainment review is required to
include an ICE for the remainder of the life cycle of the program. Appendix E provides further
information on sustainment reviews.

5.3 Other Roles of O&S Cost Estimates and Analyses

Over the years, the Congress has established extensive and demanding statutory
requirements pertaining to O&S cost estimation, as well as sustainment or product support
management, for major DoD weapon systems. There is also extensive regulatory guidance
concerning the current DoD implementation of these statutory requirements, as well as other
O&S and sustainment policy and procedures. The statutory and regulatory guidance associated
with O&S cost analyses, sustainment considerations in system acquisition, and development of a
product support strategy for major weapon systems is provided in Appendix H of this guide.
In particular, O&S cost analyses are to be used to influence system design with an
emphasis on sustainment considerations. For all MDAPs, objectives and thresholds for
reliability, availability, and maintainability are to be established as requirements to support
system development. These requirements are to be established by trade studies that balance
sustainment considerations with acquisition cost and what is achievable based on available
technologies. O&S cost analyses also are to support design decisions to ensure that sustainment
factors are fully considered at key life-cycle management decision points and that appropriate
measures are taken to reduce O&S costs by influencing system design early in development,
developing sound sustainment strategies, and addressing key drivers of costs.
Appendix H provides additional discussion about the role of O&S costs in the Joint
Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS).

Distinct from the ICE and CCP, program managers are required to develop a “should cost”
estimate that is used as a management tool to control and reduce cost. “Should cost”
management is intended to proactively target cost reduction and drive productivity
improvements into programs. The “should cost” estimate challenges managers to identify and
achieve savings below budgeted most-likely costs. For system sustainment, “should cost” targets
will be established and reviewed annually based on an analysis of acquisition logistics costs and
O&S cost elements. Guidance on “should cost” management is provided in DoDI 5000.85,
Major Capability Acquisition.

5.4 Selected Acquisition Report

Estimates of O&S costs are updated each year for inclusion in the annual program Selected
Acquisition Report (SAR). The SAR includes a comparison between the program and an

34
antecedent system (if applicable). This comparison is shown using a unitized cost metric. The
most common unitized cost metric is $/system/year. Other unitized cost metrics are $/unit of
usage and $/typical unit/year. In addition, the SAR provides a comparison between the current
O&S cost estimate and the SAR baseline objective and threshold values for total O&S costs. The
SAR O&S reporting also includes a cost variance that identifies each change, and the reason for
it, between the current estimate and the prior estimate. Information on SAR reporting can be
found in the Annual Selected Acquisition Report Guidance. This guidance states that the O&S
costs reported in the SAR should conform to the cost element structure provided in this guide.

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 6. SOURCES OF O&S COST DATA

This chapter describes some sources of O&S cost data that are commonly used in cost
estimates.

6.1 VAMOSC Program

6.1.1 Background
Each military department has its own unique VAMOSC data system that tracks actual O&S
costs for major weapon systems. The systems display time-phased data, at various levels of
detail, by functional cost element (such as depot maintenance, fuel, consumables, and so forth).
Each VAMOSC system provides not only cost data, but related non-cost data (such as system
quantities and OPTEMPO) as well. VAMOSC users can analyze trends in O&S costs for each
major system, and identify and assess major cost drivers. Each military department manages its
own VAMOSC data system as follows:
• The Air Force VAMOSC system is known as the Air Force Total Ownership Cost
(AFTOC) system. AFTOC provides O&S cost data for all manned and unmanned
aircraft; aircraft engines; missiles; munitions; command, control, and communication
systems; space systems; and other miscellaneous systems and programs. It also
provides supplementary data such as aircraft quantities and flying hours, fuel
consumption, numbers of personnel by skill/function, and other non-cost information.
AFTOC is managed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Cost and
Economics. See https://aftoc.hill.af.mil for additional information.
• The Army VAMOSC system is known as the Operating and Support Management and
Information System (OSMIS). OSMIS provides O&S cost data for aviation, tracked
and wheeled combat vehicles, artillery systems, engineering and construction
equipment, communication and electronic systems, and other tactical systems and
equipment. It also provides supplementary data such as system quantities; vehicle
miles; aircraft flying hours; consumption for repair parts, fuel, and ammunition; and
man-hours for intermediate and depot maintenance. OSMIS is managed by the Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Cost and Economics. See
https://www.osmisweb.army.mil for additional information.
• The Department of the Navy system is known as Naval VAMOSC and includes both
Navy and Marine Corps platforms and systems. Naval VAMOSC provides O&S cost
data for ships and shipboard systems, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, weapons
(missiles and torpedoes), military and civilian personnel, facilities, and Marine Corps

37
 ground systems. Naval VAMOSC also provides key non-cost data such as personnel
counts for ship crews and aircraft Type Model Series, system quantities, flying
hours/ship steaming days, fuel consumption, and maintenance hours/days. Naval
VAMOSC is managed by the Naval Center for Cost Analysis. See
https://www.vamosc.navy.mil for more information.
The military departments provide training and documentation to their VAMOSC users. The
training material consists of on-site presentations and online videos. The documentation consists
of extensive user guides and manuals.

6.1.2 CAPE Policy Guidance

DoDI 5000.73, Cost Analysis Guidance and Procedures, provides the policy guidance for
the military department VAMOSC systems. This guidance requires each military department to
collect and manage actual O&S cost data for its fielded major systems. Each military department
is responsible for the design, maintenance, administration, and quality control of its O&S cost
data system and will make its VAMOSC data readily available to its registered users—DoD
government personnel and contractor personnel when endorsed by an appropriate government
sponsor—through online access. CAPE promotes standardization of O&S cost data collection,
provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and research, and encourages the effective use of
VAMOSC data in O&S cost estimates. The Deputy Director for Cost Assessment convenes and
conducts annual reviews of the military departments’ VAMOSC programs.
The VAMOSC systems should also use a documented and well-defined taxonomy or cost
element structure. Cost element structures categorize and define specific cost elements that in
total constitute the full range of potential O&S costs for any defense system. To the greatest
extent feasible, the VAMOSC systems should support the CAPE cost element structure provided
in Chapter 3 of this guide.

6.1.3 EVAMOSC
Recent significant legislation pertaining to weapon system O&S costs and associated O&S
cost data systems created new VAMOSC requirements. Section 836 (Codification of
Requirements Pertaining to Assessment, Management, and Control of Operating and Support
Costs for Major Weapon Systems) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for
FY 2018 established that the DCAPE shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a
database on (1) operating and support cost estimates, (2) supporting documentation, and (3)
actual operating and support costs for major weapon systems. In addition, Section 832
(Implementation of Recommendations of the Independent Study on Consideration of
Sustainment in Weapon Systems Life Cycle) of the NDAA for FY 2019 requires the Secretary of
Defense to commence implementation of each recommendation of an independent assessment
conducted by the MITRE Corporation (of the extent to which sustainment matters are considered
in decisions related to requirements, acquisition, cost estimating, programming and budgeting,

38
and research and development for MDAPs). The MITRE recommendations pertaining to O&S
cost data systems are for DoD to:
• Develop a common data repository for all sustainment-related data.
• Create and implement common data definitions, structure, and business rules for
sustainment cost data.
• Provide a consistent, predictable funding stream for O&S cost databases, prioritizing
department-wide accessibility.
• Develop a common data structure, taxonomy, and data dictionary for all three
VAMOSC systems.
• Establish a common logon procedure for the VAMOSC systems and the Cost
Assessment Data Enterprise (CADE 1) data system.
As a result, CAPE has a statutory mandate to develop a comprehensive enterprise-wide
O&S cost data system. The implementing solution is known as the Enterprise VAMOSC
(EVAMOSC) system. This requirement presents an opportunity to address gaps in coverage
from the current VAMOSC systems and serve a wider user community. CAPE formed a
VAMOSC Data Working Group with the military departments. The vision is to collaboratively
develop and implement a common taxonomy, data definitions, and business rules as
collaboratively defined by the DoD cost community and codified in policy. To date, pilot
programs have been used to establish and demonstrate preliminary concepts for the data
structures and definitions that will establish data standardization across DoD. In the future,
CAPE will award a contract for database design, implementation, and data platform services.
This platform will incorporate modern data fusion and analytics technologies for ingesting,
aggregating, standardizing, visualizing, reporting, and securing a large amount of data from an
array of systems, including the current military department VAMOSC systems. Development of
the EVAMOSC platform will occur incrementally between 2020 and 2025.
As an interim measure, CAPE is developing a Consolidated VAMOSC Tool (CVT) that
allows each military department’s VAMOSC data to be retrieved and analyzed in a common
framework using a common tool. The first version of this tool was made available in August
2019, and is applicable to Navy ships and aircraft, Air Force aircraft, and all Army weapon
systems. The tool can convert military department VAMOSC cost and programmatic data into
the standard OSD CAPE structure. It can also calculate commonly used cost metrics and display
the data graphically.

6.2 Cost Reporting for Sustainment Contracts

6.2.1 Background
1
Information on CADE can be found at the CADE public website at https://cade.osd.mil.

39
 Section 832 (Assessment, Management and Control of Operating and Support Costs for
Major Weapon Systems) of the NDAA for FY 2012 directed that DoD will establish standard
requirements for the collection and reporting of data on O&S costs in an appropriate format for
major weapon systems by contractors performing weapon system sustainment functions, and
develop contract clauses to ensure that contractors comply with such requirements. In response,
CAPE has implemented the initiatives described in the remainder of this chapter. The details of
the CAPE implementation guidance are provided in DoDI 5000.73.

6.2.2 CSDR for Sustainment

In 2012, CAPE extended Cost and Software Data Reporting (CSDR) data collection to
apply to most major weapon system sustainment contracts and subcontracts above specified
dollar thresholds. This reporting is important because the military department VAMOSC systems
provide limited visibility into actual costs when a weapon system is sustained through a CLS
contract or a similar arrangement. The VAMOSC systems may in some cases collect and display
CLS costs in aggregate, but without providing any details by cost element, such as depot
maintenance or sustaining engineering. Since then, CAPE has continued to improve the
collection and reporting of contractor actual costs for major sustainment, logistics, and
maintenance contracts.
Most recently, cost data reporting for sustainment contracts has been modernized by an
initiative known as FlexFiles. In Flexfile reporting, monthly time-phased data (dollars and hours)
are submitted directly from contractor’s accounting systems at a low-level of detail (i.e., account,
work package, or charge code) that is below the WBS level of detail. The data are submitted
using the contractor native functional categories for direct costs and overhead. Flexfile reporting
provides continuity with the prior reporting by requiring tags (based on a contractor allocation)
to the standard government WBS and functional categories. Additional information on the
FlexFiles initiative is available on the CADE public website at
https://cade.osd.mil/policy/flexfile.
Figure 6-1 shows the structure of the Flexfile report for sustainment.

40
 Figure 6-1. Flexfile Report for Sustainment Data Elements

CAPE and the Service cost agencies have developed templates for CSDR plans for each
weapon system commodity type (such as aircraft, electronic system, or missile). These templates
are known as standard plans. There is also a standard plan for the Cost Data Summary Report for
sustainment. The standard plans are available on the CADE public website at
https://cade.osd.mil/policy/csdr-plan. The sustainment standard plan provides the WBS that is
used in sustainment cost reporting. Figure 6-2 provides an extract of the standard plan WBS for
maintenance (O&S cost element 3.0).

41
 Figure 6-2. CSDR Sustainment WBS for Maintenance

The entire CSDR contractor WBS for sustainment for all of the O&S cost elements is
provided in the standard plan for sustainment. This WBS is consistent with the O&S cost
element structure provided in Chapter 3 of this guide, but provides considerably more detail.
The Flexfile report also stratifies the data by standard functional categories for direct labor,
material, and overhead. Using pivot tables, the analyst can structure the data where the WBS
elements can be displayed as rows in a matrix, and the functional categories can be displayed as
columns. Figure 6-3 provides the standard functional categories for sustainment.

42
 Figure 6-3. CSDR Standard Functional Categories for Sustainment

CSDR reporting for sustainment is required on major contracts, subcontracts, and

government-performed efforts worth more than $50 million (then-year dollars) for current and
former MDAPs and major systems. Commercial items are exempt if the program manager
requests and obtains approval from CAPE for a reporting waiver. Additional information on
CSDR sustainment data can be found on the CADE public website at
https://cade.osd.mil/policy/sustainment.

6.2.3 Maintenance and Repair Parts Data Report

An additional data report known as the Maintenance and Repair Parts Data Report has been
developed to collect detailed cost and technical data for maintenance events and repair parts,
similar to the data already collected by maintenance data collection systems for major weapon
systems supported under organic maintenance. This report will collect for each maintenance
event (1) maintenance data such as reason for failure, maintenance type, and labor hours; and (2)
repair data such as the name and repair or replacement cost of the repair part.
Figure 6-4 provides the structure for this report.

43
 Figure 6-4. Maintenance and Repair Parts Report Data Elements

The latest version was completed in November 2017. A Maintenance and Repair Parts Data
Report is required on all sustainment contracts and government-performed efforts worth more
than $50 million (then-year dollars) for programs that exceed MDAP and major system level
thresholds when equivalent information cannot be provided by the program manager. The
various acronyms shown in Figure 6-4 are spelled out in the Abbreviations section of this guide.
Additional information on the Maintenance and Repair Parts Data Report can be found on the
CADE public website at https://cade.osd.mil/policy/maintandrepair.

6.2.4 Contractor Reporting for Software Maintenance

The Software Resources Data Reporting (SRDR) system collects software cost metrics data
(such as software size, schedule, and labor hours) for software development efforts (contracts,
subcontracts, and government-performed efforts) valued at more than $20 million (then-year
dollars), for programs that exceed MDAP and major system dollar thresholds, and MTA
programs anticipated to exceed $100 million (then-year dollars) in acquisition expenditures.
SRDR reporting has been expanded to include major software maintenance activity. SRDR

44
reporting for maintenance is required for contracts, subcontracts, and government-performed
efforts for programs with previous SRDR development reporting, software maintenance efforts
of more than $20 million, and programs that exceed MDAP and major system level thresholds.
Figure 6-5 provides the structure for this report.

Figure 6-5. Software Maintenance Report Data Elements

Additional information about the software maintenance report can be found on the CADE
public website at https://cade.osd.mil/policy/srdr.

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 7. O&S COST ESTIMATING PROCESS

7.1 Introduction
This chapter describes a recommended analytic approach for planning, conducting,
documenting, and presenting an O&S cost estimate.
A more comprehensive discussion on the cost estimating process in general is provided in
the DoD Cost Estimating Guide. The guide provides important background, including a review
of relevant policy established in statutes and instructions, and an explanation of standard cost
terms and definitions. The Guide takes the reader through each critical step in the cost estimating
process: (1) program definition, (2) cost estimate planning, and the establishment of the basis for
the cost estimate (3) identification, collection, and validation of data, (4) selection of estimating
methods and models, (5) model validation and sensitivity analysis, (6) risk and uncertainty, and
(7) documentation and presentation of results. The Guide also provides an extensive list of
references, including various best practices checklists, and relevant training and education
opportunities at Defense Acquisition University and other institutions. The intent of this chapter
is to augment (not replace) the guide with additional discussion focused on O&S cost estimation.
Figure 7-1 shows the recommended analytic approach for the O&S cost estimating process.

47
 Figure 7-1. Recommended O&S Cost Estimating Process

The remainder of this chapter describes this process further.

7.2 Program Definition

7.2.1 System and Support Descriptions

One of the early steps in a cost estimate is to define the system characteristics and program
content (i.e., describe what it is that will be costed). Figure 7-2 provides a list of the topics that
are commonly addressed prior to the initiation of an O&S cost estimate.

48
 Figure 7-2. Typical System Characteristics and Program Content

For MDAPs approaching an acquisition milestone review, the program office is required to
define its program in a comprehensive formal written document known as a Cost Analysis
Requirements Description (CARD). The CARD narrative document is augmented by a CARD
table that provides the key technical, programmatic, and operational characteristics of an
acquisition program using concise tabular entries for the data. CAPE has developed CARD table
templates for each commodity type (aircraft, ground vehicle, etc.). Guidance for the CARD
document and CARD table templates is available on the CAPE public website at
https://cade.osd.mil/policy/card. The CARD is also required for sustainment reviews. For MTA
programs, the CARD is not required; however, the program management office is required to
submit a program description with sufficient level of detail upon which to base a cost estimate.
For other programs preparing an O&S cost estimate, an abbreviated version of the CARD
format, with appropriate tailoring, provides a useful and flexible framework for developing a
written program description suitable to support an O&S cost estimate.
There may be other program documents besides the CARD that can be referenced for
program definition. Examples include the Product Support Strategy, Acquisition Strategy, or

49
Independent Logistics Assessment. However, it is important to verify that any other source
documents are current and not in conflict with the CARD.
In cases where there are gaps or uncertainties in the various program descriptions, this
should be acknowledged in the written document. This applies to uncertainties in either general
program concepts or specific program data. For uncertainties in program concepts, one or more
specific candidate concepts (such as organic versus contractor depot maintenance concepts)
should be assumed for cost estimation purposes. For uncertainties in numerical data, ranges that
bound the likely values (such as low, most likely, and high estimates of system reliability) should
be included. Any assumptions made should be coordinated with the program subject-matter
experts and other stakeholders. Dealing with program uncertainty will facilitate future sensitivity
analyses in the O&S cost estimate.

7.2.2 Cost Element Structure

Another early step in the O&S cost estimating process is the establishment of the cost
element structure that will be used as the format for the estimate. The cost element structure
describes and defines the specific elements to be included in the O&S cost estimate in a
disciplined hierarchy. Using a formal cost element structure (prepared and coordinated in
advance of the actual estimating) identifies all of the costs to be considered, and organizes the
estimate results. In instances with both program office and independent cost estimates, a
common cost element structure facilitates meaningful comparisons.
One of the decisions in the choice of the cost element structure is the level of detail for the
estimate. For programs early in the acquisition process, the cost element structure will typically
be less detailed. For more mature programs, the cost element structure will typically be more
detailed.
Chapter 3 of this guide describes the standard CAPE cost element structure, with associated
terms and definitions, which the components should use when presenting O&S cost estimates to
OSD, including the display of system O&S cost estimates in the program SAR.
Appendix C describes the WBS taxonomy that is used for acquisition logistics costs.

7.3 Cost Estimating Plan

7.3.1 Purpose and Scope

The plan for the estimate should describe the intended use of, and the target audience for,
the cost estimate. Some of the possible purposes for an O&S cost estimate include the following:
a milestone or other review in the acquisition process, a sustainment review, support to cost
versus capability trades or Analyses of Alternatives (AoAs), support to the product support
strategy business case analysis, and the development of a program or budget estimate for
sustainment resources. The scope of the estimate identifies the level of detail and fidelity that are

50
required to achieve the purpose of the estimate. The purpose and scope determine the resources
required to complete the remaining steps of the cost estimating process.
The plan will also include a preliminary assessment of required data necessary to support
the cost estimate. However, data needs and availability are not always clear at the beginning, and
data requirements and sources often evolve during the development of the estimate. Issues
pertaining to O&S cost data are discussed later in this chapter.

7.3.2 Ground Rules and Assumptions

There are usually several ground rules that must be established and assumptions that must
be made before the actual O&S cost estimating can begin. Ground rules are guidance from
program management or understandings from program subject matter experts that characterize
the program. Assumptions are additional presumptions made by the cost analyst as necessary.
The analyst should coordinate the assumptions with all stakeholders. Additional discussion about
ground rules and assumptions, including examples, is provided in the DoD Cost Estimating
Guide. Some of the common ground rules and assumptions that need to be documented are:
System Life. The term system life, sometimes called expected service life, refers to the
duration of the system sustainment phase. For most O&S cost estimates, the estimate should extend
over the full life expectancy of the system. Figure 7-3 and Figure 7-4 display representative life
expectancies for some of the common classes of major weapon systems. These numbers are taken
from actual current programs as documented in their December 2019 SARs and from historical
programs as documented in the last SAR for that program. These numbers are illustrative and are
not necessarily intended to be prescriptive for future programs. Actual life expectancies will vary,
and will depend on the system’s fatigue/durability requirements or specifications. For many
programs, the planned service life can be found in the CARD. Any assumptions about mid-life
upgrades or service life extension programs that are associated with the current planned system life
also should be noted.

51
Figure 7-3. Nominal System Life Durations

52
 Figure 7-4. Nominal System Life Durations (cont.)

O&S Phasing. The O&S phasing will include a phase-in period, the period during which
the system is in steady-state operations, and a phase-out period. The timing of these three periods
should be consistent with the planned deployment and retirement schedule. Figure 7-5 provides an
example of this phasing for a system with a 20-year life expectancy. In this example, the program
has a 4-year phase-in period, 16 years of steady-state operations with an inventory of 50 systems,
and a 4-year phase-out period.

53
 Figure 7-5. Example of O&S Phasing Convention

Year Dollars/Inflation/Price Escalation. Inflation refers to an increase in the general

price level across the economy as a whole. To account for inflation in budgeting and cost
estimates, each year the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) issues inflation guidance
derived from forecasts made by the administration and issued by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB).
Price escalation refers to changes in prices of a specific good or service—in other words,
any economic activity smaller in scope than the economy as a whole. Escalation accounts for not
only inflation, but also any real price change experienced in such an economic activity.
The cost community now considers the use of both inflation and appropriate escalation
indices in cost estimates to be a best practice. This approach is intended to provide the most
realistic forecast of future prices, taking specific markets, products, and contractors into
consideration. To institutionalize this practice throughout the Department, CAPE published
Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysts in April 2016. CAPE then continued to
work with the military department cost organizations to implement these best practices. A second
publication, Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysis: Analyst Handbook, was
published in January 2017. This document is a more in-depth handbook explaining specific
processes, computations, and data sources that analysts can use in the preparation and
documentation of inflation and price escalation in cost estimates. This information is important
for weapon system cost estimates, program cost reporting thresholds, and general programming
and budgeting. At the time of the publication of this guide, the two inflation and escalation
publications are being updated to clarify terminology and include more step-by-step instructions.

54
The handbook also provides links to the latest inflation calculators. These current publications
are available on the CAPE website (https://www.cape.osd.mil) at “Public Reports.”
Inflation and price escalation are especially important in O&S cost estimating due to the
long time periods over which costs can grow. Analysts should assess the sensitivity of their
estimates to their long-term inflation and escalation assumptions, and adhere to established best
practices to ensure all inputs are normalized properly. Although all costs to be used for budgeting
must be reported in then-year dollars, analysts may also wish to present some information in
constant-year dollars or constant prices to remove the effects of inflation and price escalation
(the combined effects of inflation and real price change), respectively; in some cases,
normalizing for these forces helps visualize trends and cost drivers. Constant-year dollars should
also be used to set program baseline values.
The indices used to adjust for inflation or price escalation should be specified and
documented. See Figure 7-6 below for a general guide on the indices to use for reporting O&S
costs, and refer to the Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysis: Analyst
Handbook for more detailed guidance on how to apply inflation and price escalation in cost
estimates.

INDEX SELECTION GUIDE

TY$→TY$ TY$→CY$
Appropriation / Cost Category (Forecasting Escalation) (Removing Inflation)
RDT&E Escalation GDP Deflator
RDT&E
(Weighted by RDT&E Outlays) (Weighted by RDT&E Outlays)
Procurement Escalation GDP Deflator
Procurement
(Weighted by Procurement Outlays) (Weighted by Procurement Outlays)
Military Personnel Escalation GDP Deflator
Military Personnel
(Raw) (Raw)
Civilian Personnel Escalation GDP Deflator
Civilian Personnel
(Raw) (Raw)
Fuel Escalation GDP Deflator
Fuel
(Raw) (Raw)
Operations & Maintenance O&M Escalation GDP Deflator
(excluding personnel & fuel) (Weighted by O&M Outlays) (Weighted by O&M Outlays)

Figure 7-6. Inflation/Escalation Index Selection Guide

For example, an estimate of military pay costs would require both a military pay index
(escalation) and the GDP deflator. Given a salary of $100,000 in FY 2021 (Constant Price, or
CP21$), an analyst must provide then-year (TY$) and constant-year 2021 (CY21$) estimates of
the same person’s salary in FY 2022-2025. Indices from the FY 2021 President’s Budget Green
Book are provided below, along with the annual estimate results; the CY21$ estimate preserves
the forecasted real price change, or the portion of military pay escalation that is not explained by

55
inflation. Note that the selection of an index with a base year matching that of the CY$ estimate
simplifies the calculations, and the use of an index with a different base year would require
additional calculations (see the Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysis:
Analyst Handbook for further guidance).

2021 Military 2021 GDP TY$ Estimate CY21$ Estimate

Fiscal Salary Input
Pay Index Deflator (multiply CP$ by (divide TY$ by
Year (CP21$)
(Escalation) (Inflation) escalation index) inflation index)
2021 100,000 1.0000 1.0000 = 100,000 * 1.0000 = 100,000 / 1.0000
= 100,000 = 100,000
2022 100,000 1.0270 1.0200 = 100,000 * 1.0270 = 102,700 / 1.0200
= 102,700 = 100,686
2023 100,000 1.0537 1.0404 = 100,000 * 1.0537 = 105,370 / 1.0404
= 105,370 = 101,278
2024 100,000 1.0811 1.0612 = 100,000 * 1.0811 = 108,110 / 1.0612
= 108,110 = 101,875
2025 100,000 1.1092 1.0824 = 100,000 * 1.1092 = 110,920 / 1.0824
= 110,920 = 102, 476

7..3.3 Team Members and Assignments

Ideally, O&S cost estimates are prepared by a multi-disciplinary team with functional skills
in cost analysis, financial management, logistics, engineering (including reliability and
maintainability), and other talents. The team also should include participants providing
stakeholder input from major affected organizations, such as the system’s operating command or
other user organization, product support center, maintenance depot, training center or command,
and so forth. Each team member should have well-defined roles and responsibilities.

7.3.4 Documentation of the Cost Estimate Plan

Ideally, the plan for the cost estimate will be prepared in a written document. This will be
an important element of the documentation of the cost estimate that will be required later, since
the written plan describes the process followed to achieve the estimate results. In addition, a
presentation of the plan is typically presented at some kind of kick-off meeting for the estimate.
It is important that the plan for the O&S cost estimate be reviewed by all appropriate
stakeholders before the actual work on preparing the cost estimate begins. This helps ensure that
there are no false starts or misunderstandings later in the process. However, in real life, it is most
likely that the original plan is going to change over the course of the estimate. Any changes from
the original plan should be noted in the final documentation of the cost estimate.

7.4 Cost Data

7.4.1 Data Identification and Collection

56
 The cost estimating process includes the identification of the best data available that is
appropriate for the purpose and scope of the estimate. For programs that are early in the
acquisition process, the planning for the O&S cost estimate should identify and document the
needed cost, performance, and technical data for appropriate legacy systems in order to support
estimates using analogies or cost estimating relationships (CERs) described later in this chapter.
For programs that are later in the acquisition process, plans for O&S cost estimates should
establish requirements for predictions by contractor, program office, or other external support
organizations for O&S cost factors, reliability and maintainability parameters, and other
suitability and logistics support factors. Plans should also address associated test and evaluation
requirements and experience to date for the same factors and parameters. For mature programs,
the best sources of available data that reflect actual cost experience for the program should be
identified.
There are many possible sources of data that can be used in O&S cost estimates. For
currently fielded major systems, historical cost data for the most part is available from the
VAMOSC data system managed by each military department as discussed in Chapter 6.
However, the VAMOSC systems provide limited visibility into CLS costs. In many cases, it may
be necessary to augment VAMOSC data with CSDR data for costs of major sustainment,
logistics, and maintenance contracts. Additionally, in many cases, for weapon systems supported
by a mix of organic maintenance and CLS, it is necessary for the analyst to fuse the two data
sources into a consistent understanding of the total costs for each major cost element.
The cost estimate often will require reliability and maintainability data, which can be
obtained from the military department maintenance data collection systems or from test results.
In addition, VAMOSC data for unit-level manpower is often supplemented with information
from unit manning documents or tables of organization and equipment. In such cases, it is
necessary to apply manpower rates to the unit manning documents. Manpower rates are
discussed in Appendix I of this guide.

7.4.2 Data Validation and Normalization

O&S cost data, such as VAMOSC and CSDR data, should be carefully examined before
use in a cost estimate. The data should be displayed over a period of a few years (not just a single
year), and stratified by organization or location (such as major command or base) so that
abnormal outliers in the data can be identified, investigated, and considered as appropriate.
Data that can be used for detailed bottom-up engineering estimates often come from
contractor databases (such as logistics management data systems). It is important for analysts to
understand the sources and business rules used in the generation of the data. Appropriate
government personnel should validate this type of data before use, at least for the high-cost
items. This is especially important in cases when the hardware being costed is not mature (e.g.,
not yet tested or deployed). The validation should address the completeness of the component

57
population, the realism of component reliability and maintainability estimates, the validity of the
component unit prices, and so forth.
It may also be necessary to normalize historical data to adjust for accounting or definitional
changes that have occurred over time. In such cases, the earlier data may need to be adjusted in
order to be comparable to the current data. For example, a system may have a change in its
support concept where the mix of organic and CLS sustainment has changed, or where the source
of CLS is changed from the prime contractor to a major subcontractor. As another example, there
could be force structure changes such as a change in active-reserve mix.

In addition, system O&S cost estimates generally reflect peacetime conditions. DoD
considers the incremental costs due to a contingency to be part of the cost of the contingency, not
part of the operating cost of the system. However, for some systems in recent years, the usage or
OPTEMPO reported in the VAMOSC data systems or other data sources may capture a
combination of peacetime and contingency operations. In such cases, the actual usage and
associated costs may need to be adjusted to the peacetime level. On the other hand, the actual
usage and associated costs may represent a new more or less permanent reality, and should be
considered the new norm for the program or its replacement. The cost validation process should
establish the appropriate assumption, most likely with the help of subject matter experts. The
different levels of usage should also be considered in the sensitivity analysis and risk/uncertainty
discussed later in this chapter.

7.5 Cost Estimate

7.5.1 Methods or Models

Several techniques may be employed to estimate the O&S costs of a weapon system. The
cost estimation techniques selected typically depend on the acquisition phase and maturity of the
program. In the earlier acquisition phases, cost estimates are commonly based on analogies and
parametric CERs. In some cases, as the program definition is refined, the use of analogies and
parametric estimates may be improved by increasing the level of detail of the cost estimate,
where, for some cost elements, distinct estimates are made for major subsystems and
components. As the program enters subsequent acquisition phases, it is desirable to incorporate
any actual cost experience available from early fielded systems. Emerging test and evaluation
results, including projections of reliability and maintainability performance, also can be used to
refine O&S cost estimates.
In many instances, it is a common practice to employ more than one cost estimating method,
so that a second method can serve as a cross-check to the primary method. For mature systems,
using a build-up method or extrapolation from actuals method described later, analogy and
parametric estimates are often used as cross-checks.

58
 Each of the four most common estimating techniques is described in the remainder of this
section.
Analogy. An analogy is a technique used to estimate a cost based on historical data for one
analogous system. An analogy may also be used to estimate the cost of a subsystem such as a
propulsion or electronic warfare subsystem. In this technique, a currently fielded system, similar
in design and operation to the proposed system, is used as a basis for the analogy. The cost of the
proposed system is then estimated by adjusting the historical cost of the current system to
account for differences between the proposed and current systems. Such adjustments can be
made by using factors (sometimes called scaling parameters) that represent differences in size,
performance, technology, reliability and maintainability, complexity, or other attributes.
Adjustment factors based on quantitative data are usually preferable to adjustment factors based
on judgments from subject-matter experts.
Figure 7-7 provides an example of an analogy for an estimate of DLR cost.

Figure 7-7. Example of Analogy Cost Estimate

In this example, the cost is estimated on a dollar per unit of usage basis. The cost for the old
system is used to estimate the cost for the new system. There are two scaling parameters. The first is

59
reliability. Common reliability parameters include Mean Time Between Failure, Mean Time
Between Removal, and Mean Time Between Maintenance. However, the actual effect on cost
would be a failure rate, removal rate, or maintenance rate. Since reliability parameters are usually
expressed as a reciprocal, this leads to the reversal in the reliability ratio, where the value for the old
system is in the numerator and the value for the new system is in the denominator. The second
scaling parameter is unit hardware cost. Unit hardware cost is typically expressed as prime mission
product, recurring flyaway, or simply flyaway. The exponents b1 and b2 may optionally be used to
account for diminishing returns on the effects of the scaling parameters. Typically, the values of
these exponents would come from relevant studies or analyses such as the regression analysis
discussed in the next section. The analogy approach could be used for the entire weapon system, or
could be used for a subsystem or component.
Unit hardware cost, along with system reliability, is commonly used in analogies and
parametric estimates that are discussed later in this chapter. The unit hardware cost is used to
represent a proxy for system size and complexity. Historically, many new systems have had
superior reliability relative to the antecedent systems being replaced, due to advancements in new
technologies. However, improvements in reliability are typically more than offset by increases in
unit hardware cost. The increases in unit hardware cost indicate an increase in complexity, which
results in an increase in maintenance and other O&S costs. Table 7-1 shows an example of this
pattern for two replacement systems.

Table 7-1. Comparison of Replacement Systems to Antecedents

Parametric. The parametric technique uses regression to develop CERs. A CER is an

equation used to estimate a given cost element using an established relationship with one or more
independent variables. The relationship is often derived from regression analysis of historical
systems or subsystems. CERs should be current, applicable to the system or subsystem in question,
and appropriate for the range of data being considered. The strength of a parametric estimate lies in
the relevance and quality of the data and in the validity of the assumed behavior between the

60
independent variables and the dependent variable. The analyst should also consider the number of
data observations sufficient to form a statistically meaningful data set.
Figure 7-8 provides an example of a CER for an estimate of DLR cost.

Figure 7-8. Example of Cost Estimate by CER

In this example, the DLR cost, which is the dependent variable in the regression, is
estimated on a dollar per unit of usage basis. The independent variables are reliability and unit
hardware cost. To perform the regression, it is necessary to assemble the data (both the
dependent variable and the independent variables) for a group of historical systems relevant to
the system being estimated. The functional form of the equation is nonlinear, but can be
converted to a linear form by taking logarithms of both sides of the equation. The regression
using the data for the historical systems then provides the three coefficients (b0, b1, and b2). The
equation for the CER can then be used to estimate the DLR cost for a new system.
A more complete and advanced discussion about the development and application of CERs
can be found in the Joint Agency Cost Estimating Relationship Development Handbook.
Build-up Estimate. This technique uses discrete estimates of labor and material costs for

61
maintenance and other support functions. The system being costed normally is broken down into
lower-level components (such as parts or assemblies), each of which is costed separately. The
component costs are then aggregated using simple accounting equations to estimate the total system
cost (hence the common name “bottom-up” estimate). For example, system maintenance costs
could be calculated for each system component using data inputs such as system OPTEMPO,
component mean time between failure or maintenance, component mean labor hours to repair, and
component mean material cost per repair. Engineering estimates require extensive knowledge of a
system’s components characteristics, and a sizeable amount of detailed data. An example of a build-
up estimate is provided in Appendix G of this guide.
Extrapolation from Actuals. With this technique, actual cost experience or trends (from
prototypes, engineering development models, and/or early production items) are used to project
future costs for the same system. Such projections may be made at various levels of detail,
depending on the availability of data. In some cases, it may be necessary to account for growth in
reliability and maintainability.
There are other methods in addition to the four discussed in this section, including expert
opinion, head-count (level of effort), and industrial engineering standards. These other methods are
described in the DoD Cost Estimating Guide.

7.5.2 Baseline Cost Estimate

The complete O&S cost estimate is composed of the individual estimates for each cost
element. The framework holding the estimate together is the cost element structure. The analyst
populates the cost element structure with the selected estimating methods supported by inputs
from the data collection process. The analyst then applies inflation, price escalation, and phasing
methods as needed. Often, an estimate may use a comprehensive cost model built in Excel or a
cost estimating software application such as Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools
(ACEIT).
Usually the development of the baseline cost estimate is an iterative process. Starting the
baseline cost estimate as early as possible helps focus discussion among the team members,
inspires timely questions, and uncovers weaknesses in the estimating methods or gaps in the data
collection process.
The term baseline cost estimate is used because this estimate serves as the point of
departure for the sensitivity analysis and risk/uncertainty assessment discussed in the next two
sections.

7.5.3 Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity analysis attempts to demonstrate how the cost estimate would react to changes
in cost drivers. Typically, for the high-cost elements, the analyst identifies the relevant cost-
drivers and then examines how costs vary with changes in the cost-driver values. For example, a

62
sensitivity analysis might examine how maintenance manning varies with different assumptions
about system reliability and maintainability values, or how system fuel consumption increases
with system weight growth. In good sensitivity analyses, the cost-driver values are not changed
by arbitrary plus/minus percentages, but rather by a careful assessment of the plausible ranges of
values.
Figure 7-9 shows an example of a sensitivity analysis for an aircraft system.

Figure 7-9. Example of Sensitivity Analysis

In this example, the costs being considered are costs for DLRs plus costs for consumables.
These costs are expressed on a dollars-per-flight hour basis. The sensitivity analysis is focused
on aircraft reliability, which has been identified as a concern. In this example, the aircraft is
undergoing test and evaluation. For this aircraft, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation
(DOT&E) projection for reliability at maturity, based on test experience to date, is provided as a
range of values. The entire range of the projection is significantly deficient relative to the
threshold and objective reliability requirements established in the Capability Development
Document (CDD).

63
 In most cases, maintenance costs do not vary linearly with reliability. In this example,
achieving the CDD threshold represents a 22 percent improvement in reliability compared to the
DOT&E projection. Such an achievement is estimated to reduce the costs for DLRs plus
consumables by 13 percent.
Figure 7-10 shows a second example of sensitivity analysis that considers both reliability
and maintainability for the same aircraft system.

Figure 7-10. Second Example of Sensitivity Analysis

In this example, the output measure being considered is maintenance manpower per
squadron. Here, both reliability (measured as Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM)) and
maintainability (measured as Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)) are varied. These results were
derived from a simulation model of aircraft squadron operations and maintenance. The level of
maintenance manpower is a decision variable in the simulation. For given reliability and
maintainability, the model is used to establish the minimum level of manning necessary to
achieve targets for sortie generation rates.

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 In most cases, maintenance manpower does not vary linearly with improvements in
reliability or maintainability. Typically, a given percentage of a reliability or maintainability
improvement would result in a lower percentage manpower reduction. This is because the
workload for maintenance manpower is not limited to touch labor for replacements and repairs,
but also includes other activities such as weapons loading, inspections, and overhead such as
quality control and supervision. In this example, the increase in reliability between medium and
high represents a 50 percent improvement. This reliability improvement at the medium level of
maintainability results in only a 7 percent reduction in maintenance manpower.
In addition, for many systems, the maintenance manpower system can also vary with the
number of systems in the operating unit. Typically, there can be an economies of scale effect as
the unit size is increased. However, this is not true for all system types.
More generally, sensitivity analysis helps identify where the analyst should focus risk and
uncertainty analysis. That topic is briefly introduced in the next section.

7.5.4 Risk and Uncertainty

A program risk is a potential event or condition that may have an effect on cost, schedule,
and/or performance. A risk has three characteristics: a triggering event or condition, the
probability that event or condition will occur, and the consequence of the event or condition
should it occur. Uncertainty is the indefiniteness of the outcome of a situation. In the context of
cost estimating, uncertainty refers to the range of possible values for the eventual cost outcome.
Cost analysts address risk and uncertainty in different ways. The DoD Cost Estimating
Guide provides a summary of the most common methods used to address them. One of the
methods described is simulation. A simulation model is used to capture the uncertainty in
parametric CERs, CER inputs, any other cost drivers, program schedule, and other identified risk
events (and the probability of occurrence and the consequence of it for each event) that impact
the cost model. A simulation model can be used to develop a so-called S-curve, which is the
cumulative distribution function of the system cost. A complete description of this approach is
provided in the Joint Agency Cost Schedule Risk and Uncertainty Handbook. The handbook
provides several examples of this approach.

7.5.5 Documentation and Presentation

A complete cost estimate should be formally documented. The documentation serves as an
audit trail of source data, methods and results. The documentation should be easy to read,
complete and well organized—to allow any reviewer to understand the estimate fully. The
documentation also serves as a valuable reference for future cost analysis, as the program moves
from one acquisition milestone to the next. The key standard is that an outside professional cost
analyst should be able to replicate the estimate, given the documentation.

65
 The documentation should address all aspects of the cost estimate: a brief summary of the
program definition and a reference to the CARD; the background described in the cost estimating
plan, including all ground rules and assumptions; the selection of cost data sources and cost
estimating methods; the actual estimate computations; and the results of the sensitivity and
risk/uncertainty analyses.
Typically, a presentation concerning an O&S cost estimate would include the following:
• O&S Cost Summary. The presentation will begin with a brief summary of
ground rules and assumptions (such as O&S period, number of deployed systems,
operations and support concepts, etc.), and follow with a brief table-format
summary of total O&S costs in constant dollars by cost element and sub-elements.
• Estimating Methods for Major Cost Elements. The presentation will include a
discussion of estimating methods (and source data) for the high-cost cost elements
and sub-elements.
• Sensitivity Analysis. This section of the presentation would include an
identification of the major cost-drivers (such as system reliability and
maintainability) associated with the high-cost cost elements and sub-elements, and
show the sensitivity of the costs to changes in cost-drivers.
• Risk/Uncertainty Analysis. If conducted, a formal quantitative assessment of risk
and uncertainty such as an S-curve display would be provided here in the
presentation.
• Time-Phased O&S Display. The presentation will include a display of time-
phased O&S costs by major time periods (such as phase-in, steady-state, and
phase-out periods), as well as a display of annual steady-state recurring O&S
costs1. These costs are displayed in then-year dollars when used to support a
comparison to program funding in the budget.
• Annualized Steady-State Costs for Typical Unit. The presentation should
include a display of the annual system O&S costs for a typical deployable or
operating unit (such as squadron or battalion) or single system (such as ship or
missile), compared to similar costs for the predecessor and/or reference system.
This is one of the presentation formats often used in the program SAR.

1
In the steady-state period, annual O&S costs may or may not be constant. In some cases, variations may occur due
to long overhaul cycles or other reasons. In these cases, annual-steady state O&S costs would be calculated as the
average annual O&S cost over the steady-state period.

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• Cost Track to Prior Estimate. If applicable, the presentation should also
include a comparison between the current O&S cost estimate, and the most recent
previous estimate. Major differences should be explained.
• Comparison to Program Baseline. Where applicable, the presentation should
include comparisons between the current estimate and any ADM metrics, SAR
baselines, cost Key System Attributes (KSAs), etc.

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 APPENDIX A
Software Maintenance Cost Elements

Introduction
This appendix provides an optional, more detailed cost element structure for software
maintenance.

Definitions
5.2 Software Maintenance
The rollup of the costs of the lower level elements.

5.2.1 Software Changes

The rollup of the costs of the lower level elements.

5.2.1.1 Release 1...n (Specify)

The rollup of the costs of the lower level elements.

5.2.1.1.1 Correction of Deficiencies

This element captures software change costs associated with the correction of deficiencies,
defects, and cybersecurity. It can also capture the cost of any refactoring (restructuring the
existing body of code without altering behavior).

5.2.1.1.2 Enhancements
This element captures software change costs associated with minor enhancements.

5.2.1.1.3 Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

This element captures all costs associated with software release IV&V. IV&V is a review
secured through a separate contract with a third party that ensures that the system is well-
engineered and meets agreed upon requirements (verification) and that the system meets the
users’ needs (validation).

5.2.2 Software Program Management

Includes all costs associated with the management of software, including the
implementation, delivery, and sustainment of software.

5.2.3 Software Sustaining Engineering

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 Includes all costs associated with software-specific sustaining engineering. Costs reported
in this element may include, but are not limited to, contract engineering services, studies, and
technical advice. This element does not include effort associated with directly changing the
software baseline but may support the activities associated with those changes.

5.2.4 System Facilities

This element includes the system-specific cost associated with establishing and operating
an environment such as a Software Integration Laboratory (SIL) for software
maintenance-related development and testing.

5.2.5 Field Service Engineers

This element includes the cost associated with on-site support of a deployed software
product or system in its operational environment.

5.2.6 Certification and Accreditation

This element includes activities such as Cybersecurity, Information Assurance
Vulnerability Management (IAVM), Airworthiness, Safety, and Networthiness. Cybersecurity,
formerly Information Assurance (IA), and the Risk Management Framework (RMF) for DoD
Information Technology, formerly DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation
Process (DIACAP), are processes that verify the software system against externally defined
domain performance criteria.

5.2.7 Help Desk

This element captures the costs of providing help desk support for end users. Cost may
include effort associated with answering and filtering help desk calls, troubleshooting, account
management, system administration, software upgrades, and break/fix.

5.2.7.1 Tier 1
This element captures the costs of providing Tier 1 help desk support to end users. This
element includes the cost of support provided by a central call center for basic customer issues
such as solving usage problems and fulfilling service desk requests that need IT involvement. If
no solution is available, Tier 1 personnel escalate incidents to a higher tier.

5.2.7.2 Tier 2
This element captures the costs of providing Tier 2 help desk support to end users. This
element includes the cost of support provided by experienced and knowledgeable support
personnel who assess issues and provide solutions for problems that cannot be handled by Tier 1.
Typically, Tier 2 personnel have an in-depth functional knowledge of the product or service. If
no solution is available, Tier 2 support escalates the incident to Tier 3.

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5.2.7.3 Tier 3
This element captures the costs of providing Tier 3 help desk support to end users. This
element includes the cost of support provided by highly skilled product specialists who have an
expert knowledge of the application and can resolve issues or problems and fix defects in the
production baseline by changing the system software.

5.2.8 Hosting
This element includes all costs associated with hosting, either in a traditional data center or
in the cloud. Includes activities associated with computing resources and servers that execute all
or some portion of an application from a central location across a network. Also includes storage
and services necessary to maintain and manage server hardware and operations. If system is
cloud hosting, specify if costs represent infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, or
software as a service.

5.2.9 Software Licenses

This element includes the cost associated with license procurement and license maintenance
fees for all licenses necessary to operate and maintain the system. This includes licenses in the
development environment as well as the deployed software system.

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 APPENDIX B
Indirect Support Cost Elements

Introduction
Indirect support costs are those installation and personnel support costs that cannot be
identified directly (in the budget or Future Years Defense Program) to the units and personnel
that operate and support the system being analyzed, but nevertheless can be logically attributed
to the system and its associated manpower.
Such indirect costs are not included in operating and support (O&S) cost estimates made
in support of the defense acquisition process. However, indirect support costs are often
considered in workforce mix cost comparisons, product support business case analyses, and
broad force structure studies such as those focused on active-reserve mix. These costs also may
be considered and addressed separately in programming and budgeting. These indirect costs
may optionally be collected in the VAMOSC systems, at the discretion of each military
department.
Since indirect support costs lack direct visibility with the system under consideration, they
are often allocated, either on a per-capita or some other basis. Some O&S cost estimates attempt
to partition the indirect support costs into fixed and variable elements, and use only the variable
costs in the estimate. The intention is to include only the costs that would likely change for the
action being analyzed (e.g., new system development is initiated).
The remainder of this appendix provides terms and definitions for indirect support cost
elements.

Definitions

6.0 INDIRECT SUPPORT

6.1 Installation Support

The costs of services funded and provided by the host installation that support the day-to-
day operations of the system’s force unit. Excludes the costs of personnel support services
purchased by the unit that are reflected in element 2.2 (Support Services). Consists of:

6.1.1 Base Operations Support

The costs of services for functions such as base physical security, base administration,
maintenance of installation equipment, base transportation, and other base and personnel support
services.

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6.1.2 Base Communications
The costs of local communication services provided by the host installation. May be
combined with 6.1.1 (Base Operations Support) if it cannot be identified separately.

6.1.3 Facilities Support

The costs of facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization (formerly known as real
property maintenance).

6.2 Personnel Support

The costs for the management, acquisition, initial training, and quality of life programs
necessary to maintain a quality force.

6.2.1 Personnel Administration

The costs of programs that acquire and administer the DoD workforce.

6.2.1.1 Personnel Management

The costs of programs to administer the DoD military and civilian workforce. Major
activities include reassigning on-board personnel, and managing end strength and occupational
skills to the levels needed.

6.2.1.2 Acquisition of New Personnel

The costs for recruiting, examining, and processing individuals into the military service and
for advertising in support of recruiting activities.

6.2.1.3 Personnel Not Available For Duty (Transients, Prisoners, Patients, Students)
The costs for military personnel placed in the personnel holding account because they are
not available for assignment to a unit for medical or disciplinary reasons, or are about to be
discharged. Includes military personnel not assigned to a unit because they are in transit to the
next permanent duty station, to schooling, or other training.

6.2.2 Personnel Benefits

Consists of the costs for operations and maintenance of family housing, dependent and
family support programs, and DoD commissaries and exchanges.

6.2.2.1 Family Housing

The costs for operations and maintenance of dwelling units, community facilities, roads,
driveways, walkways, and utilities for use by family housing occupants.

6.2.2.2 Dependent Support Programs

The costs of child development centers, youth development programs, family centers,
family advocacy programs, counter-drug demand reduction programs, and other similar

74
programs necessary to support the families of military service members. Includes the education
of dependents of federal employees in overseas assignments and for eligible dependents of
federal employees residing on federal property where an appropriate public education is
unavailable in the nearby community. These education costs are primarily funded by the DoD
Education Activity (DoDEA).

6.2.2.3 Commissaries and Exchanges

The appropriated costs of employee salaries and other expenses at defense commissaries.
These costs are primarily funded by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA).

6.2.3 Medical Support

The costs for medical care for active duty personnel and their dependents. Includes
provisions for in-house patient care in regional defense facilities, station hospitals, and medical
clinics; and dental facilities; as well as care in non-defense facilities. Also includes costs for
private-sector care such as TRICARE or other similar activities. Medical care is funded by a
combination of the military departments and the Defense Health Program. The active-duty
composite rates described in Appendix I also provide an acceleration factor to account for the
costs of medical support.

6.3 General Training and Education

The costs for institutional or schoolhouse training and education not associated with a
specific weapon or other system. Consists of the costs of:

6.3.1 Recruit and Initial Officer Training

The costs of programs that provide basic military training and indoctrination to enlisted
recruits, and of programs that provide basic military training and indoctrination to officer
candidates (through college commissioning programs, officer candidate/training schools, and the
three military service academies).

6.3.2 General Skill Training

The costs of programs that teach (1) entry-level job skills after completion of initial
military training, and (2) intermediate and advanced job skills later in the career.

6.3.3 Professional Military Education

The costs of programs that provide (1) professional military education at each level of
career progression, and (2) advanced academic degrees needed for work in specific organizations
and tasks.

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 APPENDIX C
Definitions for Acquisition Logistics Support Cost Elements

This appendix provides cost terms and definitions for acquisition logistics support cost
elements procured during the system production and deployment phase. In the standard
terminology for life-cycle cost, acquisition logistics support costs are procurement costs that are
the initial investment for a program’s product support that will support the sustainment that takes
place during the system operations and sustainment phase.
Figure C-1 shows the placement of a program’s acquisition logistics support costs as part
of its procurement cost.

Figure C-1. Acquisition Logistics in a Procurement Cost Estimate

Basic terms and definitions for the acquisition logistics support cost elements are provided
in MIL-STD-881D, Work Breakdown Structures for Defense Materiel Items, Appendix K
(Common Elements). These cost elements are defined as follows:
• Training. Consists of operational and maintenance training equipment, training courses
and course materials, and other training services.

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 • Data. The deliverable data procured by the Government as required on a contract data
requirements list. This typically includes technical publications, engineering data,
management data, and other support data. This may also include the Government’s
license rights to contractor intellectual property.
• Peculiar Support Equipment. Items and associated software required to support and
maintain the weapon system or portions of the system, and which are not common
support equipment.

• Common Support Equipment. Items and associated software required to support and
maintain the weapon systems or portions of the system, and which are presently in the
DoD inventory for support of other systems.

• Operational/Site Activation. Facilities, materials, and services required to house,

service, and launch prime mission equipment at the initial system sites or bases.

• Industrial Facilities. The construction, conversion, or expansion of industrial facilities

for production, inventory, and contractor depot maintenance when that service is for the
specific system.

• Initial Spares and Repair Parts. Repairable spares and repair parts required as initial
stockage to support and maintain newly fielded systems during the initial phase of
service. This includes pipeline and war reserve quantities, at all levels of maintenance
and support.
Although these acquisition logistics support costs are for the most part procurement funded,
they nevertheless are a critical investment necessary for a program’s overall sustainment and
product support package. Figure C-2 shows a graphical depiction of this concept.

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 Figure C-2. Acquisition Logistics Costs in a Life-Cycle Cost Estimate

There is a transition between the investments in the acquisition logistics support cost
elements and the support in the O&S cost elements. Often, much of this transition is provided by
Interim Contractor Support (ICS). ICS is temporary contractor support provided before a
permanent support solution (organic or contractor) is established. This support consists of labor,
material and overhead for maintenance, supply management, and other support functions during
the early fielding of the system.
Additional background about ICS, Contractor Logistics Support (CLS), and Performance-
Based Logistics (PBL) is provided in Appendix F.
Table C-1 illustrates the transition from the acquisition logistics cost elements through
various functions to the O&S cost elements.

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 Table C-1. Transition from Acquisition Logistics to O&S
Acquisition Logistics Cost
Elements Transition Function O&S Cost Element

Training (Equipment) Repair of Training Equipment Simulator Operations and Repair

Training (Services) Interim Training (Training the System-Specific Training
Trainers)

Data Interim Updates to Data and Data and Technical Publications

Technical Publications

Support Equipment Repair of Support Equipment Support Equipment Replacement

and Repair

Operational Site Activation (Local Field Service Representatives Unit-Level Manpower

Manpower)
Operation Site Activation (Other Site Activation Support Support Services
Support)

Industrial Facilities Conversion or Expansion of Maintenance (overhead for

Industrial Facilities depreciation)

Initial Spares and Repair Parts Repair of Reparable Items Depot Level Reparables
(Reparables)
Initial Spares and Repair Parts Depot Activation Depot Level Reparables
(Reparables)
Initial Spares and Repair Parts Replacement of Consumable Consumables
(Consumables) Items

Note that the costs for the sustainment of the industrial facilities for the inventory control
points and maintenance depots are captured in the overhead for facilities depreciation in the
maintenance cost elements (consumables, depot level reparables, and depot maintenance).

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 APPENDIX D
Mapping from O&S Cost Elements to Budget Appropriations

Introduction
This appendix provides a mapping from individual O&S cost elements to the major
appropriation categories: Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E); Procurement;
Military Personnel; and Operations and Maintenance (O&M). This mapping is important because
it permits an O&S cost estimate to project required funding resources by fiscal year by
appropriation for the weapon system. In particular, one specific chart, known as the Program
Funding and Quantities chart, displays for a program cost estimate a comparison between
required versus programmed funding by fiscal year for each appropriation. This chart is updated
at each milestone review throughout the acquisition process. The Program Funding and
Quantities chart 1 is described in the DoD Cost Estimating Guide.

O&S Cost Element Structure Mapping

Figure D-1 provides a notional mapping from cost element to appropriation category,
although the specific mapping for each program might vary.

1
The Program Funding and Quantities chart is known colloquially as the Spruill chart, named after Dr. Nancy
Spruill, a prominent senior acquisition official for many years and originator of the chart format.

81
 Military Operations &
RDT&E Procurement Personnel Maintenance

CAPE O&S Cost Element

1.0 Unit-Level Manpower

1.1 Operations Manpower X
1.2 Unit-Level Maintenance Manpower X X
1.3 Other Unit-Level Manpower X X

2.0 Unit Operations

2.1 Energy (Direct Fuel, Electricity, etc.) X
2.2 Training Munitions and Expendable Stores X X
2.3 Support Services X
2.4 Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel X
2.5 Second Destination Transportation X

3.0 Maintenance
3.1 Consumables X
3.2 Depot Level Reparables X
3.3 Intermediate Maintenance (External to Unit-Level) X X
3.4 Depot Maintenance X

4.0 Sustaining Support

4.1 System-Specific Training X X X
4.2 Support Equipment Replacement and Repair X X
4.3 Sustaining/Systems Engineering X X
4.4 Program Management X X
4.5 Data and Technical Publications X X
4.6 Simulator Operations and Repair X X
4.7 Other Sustaining Support X

5.0 Continuing System Improvements

5.1 Hardware Modifications X X
5.2 Software Maintenance X X

Figure D-1. Mapping of O&S Cost Elements to Appropriation Categories

Notes:

1. For manpower costs, military personnel appropriations are used for military personnel,
and O&M funds are used for contractor and government civilian personnel.
2. Some cost estimates or cost data reports might have Interim Contractor Support (ICS)
or Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) as cost elements. Normally, ICS costs are funded
with procurement appropriations, and CLS costs are funded with O&M appropriations.
3. Training munitions may be funded with Ammunition Procurement, Weapons
Procurement, or O&M appropriations.

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4. For Navy ships and submarines, most overhauls and availabilities are treated as depot
maintenance in the cost element structure, and are funded with O&M appropriations.
Fleet modernization costs are treated as hardware modifications, and are funded with
procurement (“Other Procurement”) funds. However, for a Navy procurement
appropriation known as Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy (SCN) may be used for
major ship service-life extension programs. SCN funding is also used for the Refueling
and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) of nuclear-powered carriers. In addition, the cost
estimates for ships with nuclear reactors normally do not include the costs associated
with the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration.
5. Civilian and contractor support, which is O&M funded, can be used for operations
manpower for a few system types such as space systems and some unmanned aerial
vehicles.

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 APPENDIX E
Analytic Support for Sustainment Reviews

Introduction
10 U.S.C. 2441 (Sustainment Reviews), added by the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) for FY 2017, requires the military departments to conduct a sustainment review of each
major weapon system not later than five years after declaration of initial operational capability
(IOC) of a Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) and throughout the life cycle of the
weapon system to assess the product support strategy, performance, and operating and support
(O&S) costs of the weapon system. For any review after the first one, the Secretary concerned
shall use availability and reliability thresholds and cost estimates as the basis for the
circumstances that prompt such a review. In 10 U.S.C. 2379f (Major Weapon System Defined),
the term major weapon system means a weapon system acquired pursuant to an MDAP.
Each sustainment review is required to include the following elements:

• An independent cost estimate for the remainder of the life cycle of the program.
• A comparison of actual costs to the amount of funds budgeted and appropriated in the
previous five years, and if funding shortfalls exist, an explanation of the implications on
equipment availability.
• A comparison between the assumed and achieved system reliabilities.
• An analysis of the most cost-effective source of repairs and maintenance.
• An evaluation of the cost of consumables and depot level reparables (DLRs).
• An evaluation of the costs of information technology, networks, computer hardware,
and software maintenance and upgrades.
• As applicable, an assessment of the actual fuel efficiencies compared to the projected
fuel efficiencies as demonstrated in tests and operations.
• As applicable, a comparison of actual manpower requirements to previous estimates.
• An analysis of whether accurate and complete data are being reported in the cost
systems of the military department concerned, and if deficiencies exist, a plan to update
the data and ensure accurate and complete data are submitted in the future.
Current DoD guidance concerning sustainment reviews is provided in DoD Instruction
(DoDI) 5000.85, Appendix 3D (“Product Support”).

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 There is also an additional statutory provision that establishes a requirement to update
estimates of O&S costs periodically throughout the life cycle of a major weapon system. This
provision is described at the end of this appendix.

Analytic Methods for Sustainment Reviews

The purpose of this appendix is to describe suggested analytic methods that could be used
in support of such reviews. Specific remarks and examples are provided for each element
required to be addressed in the review. The examples provided in this appendix concern major
weapon systems. However, in some cases, the sustainment review could address a system
upgrade. The analytic approach and examples would need to be tailored for that situation. The
cost analyst would need to work with the sponsor of the sustainment review to establish the
expectations and approach for a sustainment review of a system upgrade.

Independent Cost Estimate

The Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) has established
procedures for independent cost estimates (ICEs) for sustainment reviews in the most recent
revision to DoDI 5000.73, Cost Analysis Guidance and Procedures. In this guidance, a
sustainment review is supported by an ICE. There are three possibilities for the responsibility for
the ICE. CAPE may choose to either prepare the ICE, review and approve a Service cost agency
or Defense Agency equivalent ICE, or delegate the responsibility for the ICE to the DoD
Component. If CAPE does not choose to conduct or approve the ICE, the ICE is prepared in
accordance with the policies and procedures of the Service cost agency or Defense Agency
equivalent. In any case, the ICE should be briefed at the sustainment review, and a copy of the
ICE report should be provided to CAPE within seven days of the sustainment review. Additional
guidance and timelines are provided in DoDI 5000.73. General discussion about the planning,
conducting, documenting, and presenting an O&S cost estimate is provided in Chapter 7 of this
guide.

Comparison of Actual Costs and Funds Budgeted

After the program enters Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) and is
approaching Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP), preliminary information and projections about
the system support can be used to establish an initial baseline for sustainment resource
requirements. This information may initially be based on engineering estimates, but can be
updated after IOC and beyond with test results and actual cost experience to ensure realistic
funding of sustainment resource requirements.
For the programming process, in the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP), most of a
system or unit O&S cost (such as unit manpower and unit operations) is typically programmed in
a primary program element associated with the system or unit. Examples of primary program
elements are F-16 squadrons, guided missile destroyers, and heavy armored brigade combat

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teams. Comparisons between most likely cost and programmed funding can be made and
presented for these direct costs. Other O&S costs (e.g., some depot maintenance and some
training units) are centrally programmed (i.e., not programmed by the individual weapon system
or unit accounts). It is more difficult, if not impossible, to compare these system or unit costs to
programmed funding. Care must be taken to fully understand the scope and content of the
programmed funding in the primary program element.
Figure E-1 shows an example of such a comparison for a Navy ship.

Figure E-1. Sample System O&S Comparison of Funding to Actual Cost

This figure provides a comparison of the programmed funding reflected in the most recent
FYDP, the actual costs obtained from the Naval Visibility and Management of Operating and
Support Costs (VAMOSC) data system, and the most recent program Selected Acquisition
Report (SAR) estimate. These costs are based on the O&S categorization described in Chapter 4
of this guide. For many mature programs that have completed their procurement, SAR reporting
will have ceased and a current SAR estimate will not be available. The figure displays the trends
associated with the annual costs and programmed funding, as well as a comparison of the

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averages between the two over the last five years. This example is shown for the ship class
average. In some cases, it would be necessary to stratify the data by flight or block.
The comparison of programmed funding to actual cost experience for individual weapon
systems is not always possible. For most Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) ground systems,
the unit structure (and associated program element) is not oriented toward individual weapon
systems, but rather is associated with a more aggregate unit (e.g., heavy brigade combat team)
that is equipped with multiple weapon systems. For these types of weapon systems, an
alternative approach would be to address funding for selected individual cost elements for that
system from budget data.
For the budget process, analytic support to the budget process is not usually conducted in
terms of the aggregate total system O&S cost, but rather at lower levels of detail—normally,
individual high-cost Operations and Maintenance (O&M) elements, and system or unit
manpower. These two areas are discussed further later in this appendix. The analyses presented
later in this appendix are illustrative examples of the kinds of analyses that could also be used to
support a sustainment review. Additional remarks about methods for addressing how any
funding shortfalls affect equipment availability are provided later in this appendix.

Comparison of Assumed and Achieved Reliabilities

In tracking system reliability, normally each program may select the reliability metric or
metrics to be used. It is important for analysts to understand the definition and ground rules for
each reliability metric.
Figure E-2 provides an illustrative example of a track of the reliability for an aircraft.

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 Figure E-2. Track of Aircraft Reliability Metric

In this example, reliability is measured as Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM)

events, where the events are corrective maintenance actions. The program has two baseline
values for reliability that are part of the contract specification. The first reliability value is the
minimum requirement or threshold (which must be met), and the second is the desired goal or
objective that is slightly better than the requirement. Typically, there would be appropriate
incentives (such as award fees associated with performance demonstrated in a Reliability,
Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) Evaluation) for the contractor to surpass the minimum
requirement. The reliability growth curves associated with the specification values assume that
the reliability is improved over time due to design changes to correct deficiencies discovered in
test and evaluation, or due to improvements in parts quality as the production process matures,
up to the point of reliability maturity (which is assumed to occur at 100,000 cumulative flying
hours in this example). The track also shows the actual test data for the same points in time as the
program baseline (requirement and goal). In this example, the early reliability was deficient
relative to the baseline, but over time the contractor was able to address the problem and reach a
reliability value at maturity that significantly surpassed the specification values.

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 As part of the Defense Acquisition Executive Summary (DAES) reporting system,
programs undergoing test and evaluation are required to provide quarterly reports on their status
in achieving program requirements (goals and thresholds) for reliability. Each program may
select its own reliability metric and associated definition. These reports provide the results from
test data relative to reliability growth curves consistent with program requirements. These reports
are available to analysts with access to the DAES system. More importantly, cost analysts can
obtain assessments concerning test results for reliability and maintainability from the Director of
Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) annual report and from reports from other military
department test organizations. For mature programs, reliability data may be obtained from a
maintenance data collection system such as the Air Force Reliability and Maintainability
Information System (REMIS) or the Navy DECision Knowledge Programming for Logistics
Analysis and Technical Evaluation (DECKPLATE) maintenance data management and
warehousing system.

Analysis of Cost-Effective Source of Repairs and Maintenance

Every MDAP program manager or product support manager is required to develop and
implement an affordable and effective performance-based product support package. This
package is described in the product support strategy, the primary document used to describe the
program plans for sustainment across the life cycle. Guidance on the product support strategy is
provided in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3D (“Product Support).
The product support strategy is supported by a business case analysis, which is an annex to
the strategy. A business case analysis is a type of economic analysis that a program manager may
use when deciding among any number of product support alternatives. It is a structured approach
to identify the cost, benefits, and risks of the alternatives. To ensure accurate results, the business
case analysis depends on valid O&S cost data and estimates as well as user requirements and
related supportability analysis results.
The business case analysis may consider alternatives of organic, contractor, or some
combination for sources of sustainment support. In addition, the business case analysis may
evaluate other sustainment alternatives, such as choice of contract type, various technical data
rights strategies, and whether or not to establish competition—or the option of competition—for
the supported system or major subsystems.
Further information may be found in the DoD Product Support Business Case Analysis
Guidebook.

Evaluation of Costs of Consumables and DLRs

Each military department provides an annual budget submission for its O&M
appropriations. Much of the submission consists of numerous detailed budget justifications.
These justifications provide visibility into various O&M activities, and can be used in analyses to

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help ensure that the O&M accounts are executable, properly priced, and adequately funded for
proper readiness.
For the major weapon systems, several specific budget reports provide visibility into
system inventories; usage or operating tempos (OPTEMPOs); and funding for DLRs,
consumables, fuel, and depot maintenance. The specific report format is tailored to the type of
weapon system involved. The instructions, terms, and definitions for these reports are provided
in the DoD Financial Management Regulation, Volume 2A, Chapter 3. Figure E-3 provides a
summary of the key O&M budget justification documents.

Figure E-3. Key O&M Budget Justification Reports

• The OP-20 report is used for aviation assets by all of the military departments. The
OP-20 combines information on aircraft inventories and flying hours with funding for
consumables, DLRs, and fuel.
• Similarly, the OP-25 presents data for ground vehicles. These include information on
vehicle quantities and miles driven, with funding for consumables, DLRs, and fuel.

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 • The PB-61 report provides information on the depot maintenance accounts, including
planned or completed overhauls and the funding associated with depot maintenance.
The report for Navy ships provides information on overhauls, restricted availabilities,
and phased maintenance availabilities.
• Specific to ships, the OP-41 report provides operating information about ship quantities
and steaming days, with funding for DLRs, fuel, and consumables.
Information extracted from the various O&M budget reports can be compared to actual
cost experience to assess the funding adequacy for the major O&M cost elements. Figure E-4
shows an example of such an assessment for the funding for DLRs for an aircraft system.

Figure E-4. Sample Budget Assessment for an O&M Cost Element

The actual cost data could be taken from a VAMOSC system. The figure displays the
trends associated with the annual costs and the budgeted funding. In addition, the averages for
costs and funding over the last five years are shown in the box on the right. Similar charts could
be prepared for depot maintenance, fuel, consumables, and other cost elements.

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 The O&M budget reports and the VAMOSC data address funding and costs for organic
maintenance, but do not address Contractor Logistics Support (CLS). For systems with
significant CLS, it would also be necessary to obtain system CLS funding from the O&M budget
and CLS costs from the Cost and Software Data Reporting (CSDR) reports for sustainment and
the Maintenance and Repair Parts Data Report discussed in Chapter 6 of this guide.
Figure E-5 shows an alternative approach for addressing the costs of consumables and
DLRs.

Figure E-5. Alternative Approach for Consumables and DLRs

The pie chart on the right shows the percentage breakdown of the major O&C cost
elements. The bar chart on the left shows the top DLR cost drivers.
In making such assessments, it is important to determine that the funding supports a proper
level of readiness. The various budget reports summarized in Figure E-3 only provide some of
the information to help make such a determination. For example, in assessing the adequacy of
funding for depot maintenance, it would be important to ensure that the funding was not resulting
in growth of maintenance backlogs. Similarly, for O&M cost elements such as fuel, DLRs, and

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consumables, it would be important to ensure that the funding supported the required OPTEMPO
and availability for the system.

Evaluation of Costs of Information Technology, Networks, Computer Hardware, and

Software Maintenance and Upgrades
For this assessment, it is likely that it will be necessary to identify the applicable
components in the weapon system relevant to this particular element of the sustainment review.
This could include embedded prime mission product components such as sensors, data links and
communication relays, SATCOM antennas, and processors and memory devices; ancillary
equipment such as servers, workstations, and laptops; and hardware/software used for
malfunction detection and isolation. These items would not only be identified for a baseline
configuration, but also for any planned upgrades and technology insertion. For the individual
components, it would then be necessary to obtain relevant data pertaining to sustainment such as
reliability and supply support, item cost to repair and cost to replace, training workload and
frequency, technical data and support equipment, software maintenance, and any contractor
logistics data. In some cases, the sustainment review ICE could also be a source of data. These
data could then be used to construct a cost estimate by using an accounting model at the
component level of detail such as the model described in Appendix G of this guide.

Assessment of Fuel Efficiency

It was previously noted that fuel consumption can often be a major high-cost O&M
element for many systems, and the earlier section of this appendix already discussed an approach
for the assessment of the costs of such elements. What is unique to fuel is that metrics for fuel
efficiency are normally associated with fuel consumption, and not in dollars. This is because the
price of fuel can vary quite a bit from one year to the next.
For example, for an aircraft system, fuel consumption would normally be assessed in terms
of gallons per flight hour. The track of actual fuel efficiencies compared to previous projections
could be displayed in a format similar to the format shown in Table E-1.

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 Table E-1. Track of Aircraft Fuel Efficiency
Year Event Fuel Gallons per Flight Hour
2003 Milestone B Estimate 2,290
2007 Milestone C Estimate 2,370
2014 Full-Rate Production Decision Estimate 2,450
2019 Current Operations (FY 2015–2019) 2,740

The various VAMOSC systems provide data on fuel consumption for most weapon
systems.

Comparison of Actual Manpower to Previous Estimates

Manpower is an important element in system O&S costs, since manpower often accounts
for a large fraction of the total program O&S cost. For example, for Navy surface ships, ship
manpower accounts for, on average, roughly 40 percent of the ship’s total O&S cost.
Manpower estimates serve as the authoritative source for a program’s projected manpower
requirements. The manpower estimate (formerly known as the Manpower Estimate Report) is
approved by the cognizant military department manpower authority (normally the Assistant
Secretary for Manpower and Reserve Affairs).
The manpower estimate provides the program manpower needed for system operations,
maintenance, support, and system-related training. The manpower is provided separately for
active-duty officer and enlisted end-strength, reserve officer and enlisted drill and full-time end-
strength, civilian full-time equivalents, and contractor support work-years. If applicable, it is also
necessary to display the manpower requirements by Component (Active, Guard, or Reserve).
Each military department has its own process to continually review and update program
manpower requirements as the program matures and begins operations. These requirements are
typically documented in some form of unit manning document or table of organization and
equipment, although the specific format will vary among the military departments. Although the
manpower estimate described earlier does not include grade structure or skill level, the unit
manning document typically does. For example, in the case of surface ships, the Navy publishes
a Ship Manning Document for each class (and configuration) of ship. The Ship Manning
Document provides manpower requirements in terms of grade, occupation, and skill level,
predicated on the program’s required capabilities and operational environment, computed
workload, and productivity assumptions (such as standard workweeks, leave policy, etc.). The
Navy reviews its Ship Manning Documents each year, and updates them when there are
significant changes to the mission, operational concept, or ship configuration.

It is important to verify that the approved manning levels are programmed and funded as
the program nears system operations and beyond. One way to accomplish this would be to

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compare the approved manning levels, the programmed manpower authorizations as reflected in
the FYDP, and (when available) the actual manning. Figure E-6 shows such a comparison for a
Navy surface ship.

Figure E-6. Assessment of Ship Manning

In this example, the data are provided for the ship class average. Again, in some cases, the
data would need to be stratified by flight or block.
The actual manning can be provided by the Naval VAMOSC data system. In general, the
approved manning, programmed manning, and actual manning should be reasonably consistent
on average over a multiple-year period, although there may be variations among the three in any
one year due to lags in programming, budgeting, and execution. In this example, the approved
manning, programmed manning, and actual manning align quite closely. If that were not the
case, it would be appropriate to investigate the reasons for and implications of any significant
discrepancies.

Analysis of Data Accuracy and Completeness

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 For currently fielded major systems, historical O&S cost data for the most part are
available from the VAMOSC data system managed by each military department. VAMOSC data
should always be carefully examined before use in a cost estimate. The data should be displayed
over a period of a few years (not just a single year), and stratified by organization or location
(such as major command or base). This should be done so that abnormal outliers in the data can
be identified and documented, investigated, and resolved as necessary.
VAMOSC data are sometimes supplemented with other data. As noted in Chapter 6 of this
guide, CSDR data collection and reporting now applies to major weapon system sustainment
contracts and subcontracts above specified dollar thresholds. There are also more specialized
reliability and maintainability data, which can be obtained from military department maintenance
data collection systems. In addition, VAMOSC data for unit-level manpower are often
supplemented with information from more detailed unit manning documents or tables of
organization and equipment.

Post-IOC O&S Cost Estimates

10 U.S.C. 2337a (Assessment, Management, and Control of Operating and Support Costs
for Major Weapon Systems) requires the military departments to update estimates of O&S costs
periodically throughout the life cycle of a major weapon system, to determine whether
preliminary information and assumptions remain relevant and accurate, and identify and record
reasons for variances. This provision also requires the military departments to conduct periodic
reviews of O&S costs of major weapon systems after such systems achieve IOC to identify and
address factors resulting in growth in O&S costs and adapt strategies to reduce such costs.
CAPE guidance concerning this provision is provided in DoDI 5000.73. This guidance
states that:
• After IOC, DoD Components must continue to track O&S costs and update O&S cost
estimates yearly throughout an MDAP’s or major system’s life cycle to determine
whether preliminary information and assumptions remain relevant and accurate and to
identify and record reasons for variances.
• O&S cost estimates are independently reviewed at post-IOC reviews.
• Each O&S cost estimate must be compared to earlier estimates and the program’s
sustainment goals. This comparison must identify the reasons for significant changes.
A notional example of such a comparison (based on an actual case study) follows. Figure E-7
shows an example of a track of various O&S cost estimates that were made for an aircraft
program.

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 Figure E-7. Track of O&S Cost Estimates

The chart shows the annual steady-state O&S costs for a typical aircraft squadron, where
the costs are broken down and displayed using the standard direct cost elements described in
Chapter 3 of this guide. The chart shows a comparison of four cost estimates made at different
points in time. The first estimate supported a Milestone B decision in 1996, the second estimate
supported a Milestone C decision in 2002, the third estimate supported a Full-Rate Production
decision in 2008, and the fourth estimate supported a sustainment review in 2020. Alternatively,
the track of O&S costs could be displayed as cost per system per year, or cost per unit of usage
or OPTEMPO (in this case, flight hour). The earlier cost estimates included indirect costs; these
indirect costs have been removed for this comparison.
In this example, the fourth (current O&S) cost estimate is significantly higher than the earlier
estimates. The various reasons for the cost growth between the current estimate (2020) and the
Milestone B estimate (1996) were identified. Figure E-8 displays the results of this assessment.

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 Figure E-8. Assessment of O&S Cost Growth

The Milestone B estimate is shown at the bottom of the stacked bar chart. The variances
that result in the cost growth reflected in the current estimate are displayed individually. In this
example, a key difference between the two estimates is that the Milestone B estimate had
assumed an organic maintenance strategy, whereas the current estimate is based on a Contractor
Logistics (CLS) strategy. These variances between the two estimates are as follows:
• Change in active-reserve mix.
• Unanticipated real growth (or price escalation) in manpower costs per military member
for incentive and special pays, housing, and Permanent Change of Station (PCS)
moves.
• Unanticipated modification costs associated with safety upgrades necessary to meet
evolving flight-worthiness standards mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

• Higher fuel consumption, due to airframe weight growth during development.

• Higher dollars per flight hour for DLRs and consumables due to cost growth from
major suppliers.

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 • Higher costs for engine depot maintenance associated with the CLS strategy (relative to
comparable organic support).
• Addition of significant resources for contractor field service representatives, with no
offset in organic maintenance manpower.
• Higher costs for training support associated with the CLS strategy.
• Significant increase in the level of effort for sustaining engineering and program
management associated with the CLS strategy.
For programs that have submitted recent SARs, the SARs can be a useful source of the
reasons for cost variances in the program O&S cost estimates over time. The SAR O&S
reporting includes a cost variance analysis that identifies each change, and the reason for it,
between each estimate and the prior year’s estimate. In the Annual Selected Acquisition Report
Guidance, the reasons for the variances are classified into the following categories:
• Programmatic/planning factors,
• Cost estimating methodology,
• Cost data update,
• Labor rates,
• Energy rates,
• Technical inputs, and
• Other.
The SAR annual guidance provides further discussion about these categories.
In this example, the change in active-reserve mix would be matched with the
programmatic/planning factors category. The growth in military manpower costs would be
matched with the labor rate category. Modifications due to new requirements, and the increase in
fuel consumption, would be matched with the technical inputs category. The growth in costs for
DLRs and consumables would be matched with the cost data update category. The other
variances are due to an increase in level-of-effort due to the CLS strategy, and would be matched
with the cost data update category.

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 APPENDIX F
DoD Maintenance and Supply

Background

Introduction
This appendix is intended to provide a brief introduction to the concepts, terminology, and
processes for DoD maintenance and supply chain management for major weapon systems.
Effective maintenance and supply chain management are critical in ensuring weapon system
readiness. Figure F-1 portrays an overview of this idea.

Figure F-1. Overview of DoD Maintenance and Supply

Achieving system availability goals requires responsive maintenance that is adequately

resourced in terms of maintenance manpower and is supported by an effective supply chain that
provides timely delivery of reparable and consumable items.

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 DoD maintenance is conducted at different levels. The next three sections introduce the
different levels of maintenance. Note that the organizational concepts and terminology vary
somewhat by military service.

Unit-Level Maintenance
Unit-level maintenance is field-level maintenance conducted by personnel in the system
operating unit (e.g., squadron, ship, or company) or a nearby support unit. Unit-level
maintenance consists of organizational maintenance and sometimes unit-level intermediate
maintenance. Organizational maintenance or on-equipment maintenance includes the removal
and replacement of system reparable or consumable components, and also includes minor
adjustments or fault/failure diagnoses that are performed in-place on the system. Organizational
maintenance also includes other support activities such as inspections, servicing, handling, and
preventative maintenance. Intermediate maintenance or off-equipment shop-type work consists
of limited repair of components that have been removed from the system by organizational
maintenance personnel. The Army employs a two-level maintenance concept (field and
sustainment) and does not use the terms “organizational maintenance” and “intermediate
maintenance” in doctrine or practice. For Navy ships, intermediate maintenance is not conducted
by ship (unit) personnel and hence is not considered unit-level.

Intermediate Maintenance (External to Unit-Level)

In some cases, intermediate maintenance is performed by organizations that are not
considered unit- or field-level. The term intermediate is used to refer to a maintenance capability
that falls between the capabilities of organizational maintenance and depot maintenance. Navy
Regional Maintenance Centers, Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Departments, and the
Trident Refit Facility are examples of Navy intermediate maintenance organizations. Note that
such organizations not only provide off-equipment component repair, but also can provide
limited on-equipment overhauls and repairs for the system as a whole. In addition, there are two
public shipyards, Pearl Harbor and Puget Sound, that are hybrid in character and provide both
intermediate and depot maintenance.
The Air Force has only a few organizations, known as Centralized Intermediate Repair
Facilities, which provide shop-type work, that are not considered unit-level.
As noted above, the Army employs a two-level maintenance concept, consisting of field-
level maintenance and sustainment maintenance. Within the sustainment level, the Army
conducts what is called “below depot sustainment maintenance.” This type of maintenance
involves component repair and is roughly equivalent to intermediate maintenance performed
external to the unit level. In particular, the Army now has component repair companies that
provide repairs of components for electronic systems, armament and artillery systems,
automotive equipment, and other types of equipment.

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Depot Maintenance
Depot maintenance is the major on-equipment repair and overhaul of weapon systems and
other end items such as aircraft engines, and the off-equipment repair of system components at a
maintenance depot. This requires a more industrial-type facility and a higher skill level of
maintenance personnel than available at organizational and intermediate maintenance activities.
Depots normally have high-cost tooling and facilities that are not found at unit- or intermediate-
level maintenance facilities.
Depot maintenance is provided by a mix of government and contractor sources. These
contractor sources include the weapon system original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and other
contractor facilities including private shipyards. There are also some arrangements for depot
maintenance known as public-private partnerships, or “P3s,” where the work is shared or
subcontracted between the contractor and a government entity.
Note that as described in this appendix, the term depot maintenance is associated with two
distinct elements of the cost element structure presented in Chapter 3 of this guide: depot level
reparables (DLRs) (element 3.2) and depot maintenance (element 3.4).
A DLR is a reparable item/component that is repaired at least in part at the depot level of
maintenance. DLR costs are incurred largely at the unit level. Typically, when a DLR item
requires maintenance, the item is removed from the system and replaced with another item from
local inventory. This remove and replace action usually takes place at the unit level. When unit
maintenance turns in a “failed” item/component (sometimes referred to as a “carcass”), that
organization (“customer”) is charged with an exchange price (sometimes called the net price).
This exchange price includes the cost of direct labor and material for item repairs along with a
surcharge for transportation, storage, inventory management, and other overhead. The direct
material costs consist of consumables and sometimes nested reparable items. If unit maintenance
does not have a “failed” item/component to return to the supply system, that organization is
charged with a standard price. The standard price includes the new item/component purchase
price along with a surcharge for attrition, transportation, storage, inventory management, and
other overhead. Also, in cases where a failed item is turned in but the item is determined to be
irreparable due to customer negligence or maliciousness, the customer is charged the difference
between the exchange price and the standard price.
Also, much work associated with system hardware modifications and other modernization
upgrades takes place at a maintenance depot. Although the hardware upgrades are regarded as
distinct from the system depot maintenance, and are funded separately, in practice the two
activities are often synchronized in planning and execution.
Extensive statutory requirements associated with depot maintenance are described in
Appendix H of this guide.

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Supply Chain or Materiel Management
The supply chain management function is critical to ensuring the timely delivery of
reparable and consumable items. The key elements to supply chain management are:
• Cataloging and configuration management,
• Demand forecasting,
• Setting of inventory levels,
• Procurement of consumable items and materials,
• Storage,
• Processing customer requisitions,
• Sourcing of repairs, and
• Distribution.
For the Air Force and Navy, this function is conducted at the enterprise level by the Air
Force Sustainment Center and the Navy Supply Systems Command, respectively. The Army has
a more decentralized approach, and the supply chain management function resides at each of the
commodity Life Cycle Management Commands. In addition, as explained later in this appendix,
the supply chain management function for most consumable items resides at the Defense
Logistics Agency (DLA).

Additional Topics

Role of the Defense Logistics Agency

For cost analysts, it is important to not only understand the basic concepts and terminology
for maintenance conducted within each military department, but also to understand the role of
DLA in providing essential logistics support for the armed forces. This support includes two
important aspects. First, DLA is responsible for contracting, purchasing, and—where needed—
storing and distributing most of the consumable items for DoD. In other cases, DLA is
responsible for managing the delivery of these items from the vendors directly to the military
units. DLA manages several supply centers (inventory control points) and a global network of
distribution centers (warehouses). Second, DLA is responsible for the petroleum supply chain
and associated transportation services and infrastructure. DLA manages the transportation and
contractor support required for distribution of petroleum to military units and other customers
throughout the United States, Europe, the Western Pacific, and the Middle East. In addition,
DLA manages the worldwide acquisition of other fuels and propellants such as missile and
rocket fuels, and satellite propellants.

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Background on the Defense Working Capital Fund
Many of the military department and DLA activities for the maintenance and logistics of
major weapon systems are financed through an arrangement known as the Defense Working
Capital Fund (DWCF). For the most part, the DWCF is used to finance consumables, DLRs,
depot maintenance, and fuel. The basic tenet of the DWCF is to create a business-like, customer-
provider relationship between the military operating units and the support organizations. This
arrangement is designed to establish incentives for efficiency.
For example, if depot maintenance were centrally funded by the military department
headquarters, the operating units would regard such depot maintenance as a free good or service.
Requiring the operating forces to pay for the support that they receive as customers provides
increased assurance that the services obtained and provided are scrutinized and actually needed.
In addition, the DWCF providers are expected to operate under business financial management
principles. For support organizations within the fund, they are required to establish a cost
accounting system that identifies costs (direct labor, material, and overhead) with the outputs of
the business. This provides visibility into the cost drivers and encourages management to
scrutinize costs based on financial operating results.
For cost analysts, there are two perspectives on cost data for DWCF maintenance and
logistics activities. One perspective is the prices that users pay for goods and services, which
normally is what is captured by the military department VAMOSC systems. A second
perspective is the actual costs—for direct labor and material, as well as a surcharge for
overhead—experienced by the support organizations. Data on these costs from this perspective
can often be obtained from military department Enterprise Resource Planning systems and the
operating budgets of the military department and DLA working capital funds.

Product Support Management and Integrated Product Support

Each major weapon system is required to have a product support strategy document that
addresses all aspects of system sustainment throughout the life cycle. Each system has a product
support manager (PSM) responsible for the development and implementation of this strategy.
The PSM reports to the Program Manager and the two together are responsible for the execution
of the product support strategy within specified budgets.
The Integrated Product Support (IPS) elements are used as a guide for the development and
implementation of the product support strategy. However, the IPS elements are a management
framework, and do not map directly to the CAPE O&S cost element structure. O&S cost data
collection and estimation should maintain the discipline of the standard structure in order to have
standardized cost estimates and analyses and consistent reporting to higher authorities and
Congress. Further information on the IPS elements can be found in the Integrated Product
Support (IPS) Elements Guidebook.

105
Terminology About Contractor Support
The remainder of this appendix provides additional remarks about contractor support,
initially during the production and deployment phase, which later transitions into support during
the operations and sustainment phase.
Interim Contractor Support (ICS) is temporary contractor support provided before a
permanent support solution (organic or contractor) is established. This support consists of labor,
material, and overhead for maintenance, supply management, and other support functions
required to sustain the system during the early fielding of the system. The actual scope of an ICS
effort varies among programs and contracts.
If the permanent support solution is provided by a contractor, it is known as Contractor
Logistics Support (CLS). Like ICS, CLS consists of labor, material, and overhead for
maintenance, supply management, and other support functions required to sustain the system.
The only difference between ICS and CLS is the period of performance. If CLS is used, it begins
when the ICS period has ended. DoD 7000.14-R, Financial Management Regulation, Volume
2A, Chapter 1, section 010208, provides guidance for funding policies for ICS and CLS. ICS is
funded with procurement appropriations for the period established in the program baseline before
the establishment of a permanent support solution. After that period, contractor support is
regarded as CLS, and is funded with O&M appropriations. However, for some programs, the ICS
and CLS may in practice overlap.
For many years, DoD policy has favored a product support strategy known as Performance-
Based Logistics (PBL). PBL is synonymous with performance-based support. Current DoD
policy states that program managers and product support managers will develop and implement
an affordable and effective performance-based support, or PBL, package that utilizes
performance metrics. PBL integrates the various product support activities with appropriate
metrics and incentives, and product support requirements are described in terms of the desired
results rather than in terms of how work is to be performed. The PBL strategy can apply to both
CLS and organic maintenance. The PBL strategy is implemented through a formal arrangement
known as a Performance-Based Arrangement (PBA). The PBA establishes a system or
subsystem/component measurable level of performance in a contract, Memorandum of
Agreement, Service Level Agreement, or other formal arrangement.
For programs employing CLS, DoD policy states that a performance-based contract is to be
used wherever possible.
For CLS using the traditional transactional product support model, the Government
purchases parts or maintenance services from the contractor. When equipment fails or is
overhauled, the contractor charges the Government for repair, replacement, or overhaul on a
transaction-by-transaction basis. The contractor often is not incentivized to reduce sustainment
costs or improve materiel availability.

106
 Under a PBL contracting strategy, the contractor is responsible for providing a specified
level of performance, usually material availability, and is paid based on system usage or activity
(operating tempo or OPTEMPO). The contract is structured to provide positive incentives for
achieving improved performance fostering innovations and efficiencies, and negative incentives
for achieving inferior performance. In some cases, the contractor can also be allowed to reduce
sustainment costs by improving system or component reliability, and can then financially receive
a fraction of the savings.
Further guidance on PBL can be found in the Performance Based Logistics (PBL)
Guidebook.

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 APPENDIX G
Product Support Cost Estimate at the Component Level of Detail

Introduction
Much of the discussion in this guide is focused on O&S cost estimates for major weapon
systems. In contrast, this appendix provides an illustrative example of how to prepare an O&S
cost estimate at the component or black box level of detail. In addition, cost estimates are also
provided for acquisition logistics cost elements such as the procurement of initial spares, support
equipment, and initial training. The acquisition logistics support cost elements are described in
Appendix C of this guide.
Specifically, the estimate in this example concerns costs for an avionics or electronic
subsystem that is to be installed on a host platform or vehicle. The approach is to obtain detailed
data concerning component unit cost, reliability, maintainability, and other characteristics. There
are also other general data such as subsystem service life, platform system quantities and
operating hours, and maintenance level information. The data can then be used in various
accounting equations to estimate the yearly and total costs.
This example uses the Cost Analysis Strategy Assessment (CASA) model managed by the
Army Logistics and Engineering Center (LEC) in the Army Logistics Data Analysis Center of
the U.S. Army Materiel Command. The CASA model is a bottom-up, accounting type tool that
can be used for estimating system life-cycle costs. The model software provides extensive on-
line help to the analyst, including complete descriptions of the accounting equations that are used
in the model. The model also provides several features such as automated tools for sensitivity
analysis or risk and uncertainty analysis. This model is available free of charge to US personnel
within the public and private sectors. Further information is available at the CASA home page at
www.logsa.army.mil/#/lec/casa.

Ground Rules and Assumptions

The major ground rules and assumptions for the cost analysis are shown below:
• 120 avionics subsystems are to be installed and operated on the host platforms.
• Each subsystem has a service life of 20 years.
• The host platforms are operated in 10 units, with 12 platforms in each unit. Each platform
is operated at 20 hours per month.
• There are two levels of maintenance for the subsystem: (1) unit (or field) level
maintenance, where each unit conducts maintenance, consisting of both organizational

109
 maintenance and intermediate maintenance resident in the unit, and (2) depot
maintenance, which supports the entire fleet with a more extensive repair capability.
• The avionics subsystem consists of three black boxes or Line Replaceable Units (LRUs).
Each LRU consists of various Shop Replaceable Units (SRUs) such as electronic circuit
boards.
• There will be an inventory of initial spares (LRUs and SRUs) for each platform unit, and
at depot-level.
• The avionics subsystem will require new support equipment for both unit-level and
depot-level maintenance.
• The avionics subsystem will require a new training course to support training for system
maintenance. This training course will require a new type of training device.
• The avionics subsystem will require a new unit-level maintenance manual, and a new
depot-level maintenance manual.
• The costs for maintenance man-hours for both unit-level and depot-level maintenance are
based on an hourly labor rate for each level.

Detailed Component Data

Tables G-1 and G-2 show the major reliability, maintainability, and other data assumed
for the subsystem components.

110
 Table G-1. Avionics Components Input Data
Mean
Mean time
Unit cost Quantity time to
of a per next between repair
WBS spare in higher failures (Man- Shipping
Level $ assembly in hours hours) weight
Item ITYPE COST QPNHA MTBF MTTR WT
Avionics Subsystem 1 0 1 135 0 0
Black Box Type 1 2 750,000 1 385 16 160
Circuit Board Type 3 100,000 3 3,000 24 10
1A
Circuit Board Type 3 150,000 3 2,000 24 10
1B
Board Rack Type 1 3 50,000 1 10,000 32 100
Black Box Type 2 2 1,200,000 1 435 16 160
Circuit Board Type 3 200,000 3 1,500 24 10
2A
Circuit Board Type 3 200,000 3 15,000 24 10
2B
Board Rack Type 2 3 50,000 1 10,000 32 100
Black Box Type 3 2 1,000,000 1 400 16 80

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 Table G-2. Avionics Components Input Data (continued)
Portion of
failures Portion of
expected failures not Portion of
to retest repairable at failures
okay, the expected to
expressed designated be
as a Matl primary condemned
decimal Cost maintenance expressed
fraction of Per level, as a
Level Level real Repair expressed decimal
Repair Remove failures $ as decimal fraction
ITEM LRPR LREM RTOK MCPR NRTS COND
Avionics Subsystem 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.000
Black Box Type 1 1 1 0.1 0 0.1 0.001
Circuit Board Type 2 1 0.0 1,000 0.0 0.025
1A
Circuit Board Type 2 1 0.0 1,500 0.0 0.025
1B
Board Rack Type 1 2 2 0.0 500 0.0 0.001
Black Box Type 2 1 1 0.1 0 0.1 0.001
Circuit Board Type 2 1 0.0 2,000 0.0 0.025
2A
Circuit Board Type 2 1 0.0 2,000 0.0 0.025
2B
Board Rack Type 2 2 2 0.0 500 0.0 0.001
Black Box Type 3 2 1 0.1 10,000 0.0 0.001

Some explanatory remarks for these data are shown below:

• The components are displayed in a work breakdown structure (WBS) hierarchy
associated with levels of assembly. In this example, the avionics subsystem consists of
three types of black boxes, where there is one of each black box type per subsystem. The
first two types of black boxes consist of various circuit boards and a board rack.
• Each component has a unit cost that is used in the calculations of initial spares and
replenishment spares.
• Each component has a specified reliability that is expressed as Mean Time Between
Failures in hours. In this example, the subsystem operating hours are assumed to be the
same as the operating hours of the host platform.
• A specified portion of the component failures Retest Okay, and do not result in repairs.
• Each component repair has an associated Mean Time to Repair (in manhours) and an
associated Material Cost per Repair (in dollars).

112
 • Each component has a specified maintenance concept, which consists of the level of
removal and the level of repair for each component. In this example, Black Box Types 1
and 2 are primarily repaired at the unit level. However, they may require repair at the
depot level a fraction of the time.
• Each component has a shipping weight that can be used in the calculations of
transportation costs associated with the various maintenance activities.
• A specified portion of the failures result in component condemnations, which in turn
result in the purchase of replenishment spares.

Other Input Data

There is also additional input data associated with the estimates for acquisition logistics and
O&S costs. Examples are shown for support equipment, initial spares, technical data, and
training.

Support Equipment
In this example, the avionics subsystem requires two items of support equipment: Unit-
Level Test Equipment, and Depot-Level Test Equipment. Table G-3 provides the input data
associated with support equipment procurement and maintenance.

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 Table G-3. Support Equipment Input Data
Unit-Level Test Equipment Data
Unit Cost for Support Equipment ($) 500,000
Annual Maintenance Factor (%) 0.025
Hours Required for SE
Black Box Type 1 8
Black Box Type 2 8
Depot-Level Test Equipment Data
Unit Cost for Support Equipment ($) 3,000,000
Annual Maintenance Factor (%) 0.025
Hours Required for SE
Black Box Type 1 8
Circuit Board Type 1A 12
Circuit Board Type 1B 12
Board Rack Type 1 16
Black Box Type 2 8
Circuit Board Type 2A 12
Circuit Board Type 2B 12
Board Rack Type 2 16
Black Box Type 3 8

The model calculates the required quantities of the support equipment to be procured based
on the anticipated maintenance workload. There is also consideration of the availability of the
support equipment. In this example, it is assumed that the unit-level maintenance has two shifts
per day, and that the unit-level test equipment is available 343 hours per month. The depot-level
maintenance is assumed to have one shift per day, and that the depot-level test equipment is
available 171 hours per month. It is also assumed that the maximum utilization of the support
equipment is a utilization rate of 90%. For support equipment maintenance costs, the model uses
an “Annual Maintenance Factor.” This factor represents the annual maintenance cost of each
support equipment item expressed as a fraction of the support equipment item unit cost.

Initial Spares
In this example, the avionics subsystem requires procurement of initial spares for both
unit-level and depot-level maintenance. For unit level, it is assumed that initial spares are
procured for the three black box types and the various circuit boards. For depot level, it is
assumed that initial spares are procured for the three black box types, the circuit boards, and the
board racks. Note that the model calculates the required quantities of initial spares to be procured
based on the anticipated maintenance workload and a required confidence level for spares
availability. The calculations also consider the average turnaround time for spares for both
unit-level and depot-level maintenance. The turnaround time is the amount of time from when a

114
spare is taken out of the inventory until it is replaced by another (either by repair of the failed
item or the shipping of a replacement item from another maintenance level). In this example, the
average unit-level turnaround time was assumed to be 0.25 months for the three black box types
and the circuit boards. The average depot-level turnaround time was assumed to be 0.50 months
for the circuit boards, and 1.00 months for the other hardware items.

Technical Data
In this example, the avionics subsystem requires two items of technical data: a Unit-Level
Maintenance Manual, and a Depot-Level Maintenance Manual. Table G-4 displays the input data
associated with the procurement and maintenance of technical data.

Table G-4. Technical Data Input Data

Unit-Level Maintenance Manual Data
Year Cost Incurred 2020
Total Number of Pages 100
Cost per Page to Develop ($) 5,000
Cost per Page to Publish ($) 0.6
Total Number of Copies 20
Annual Number of Revised Pages 5
Revision Cost per Page ($) 5,000
Depot-Level Maintenance Manual Data
Year Cost Incurred 2020
Total Number of Pages 300
Cost per Page to Develop ($) 7,500
Cost per Page to Publish ($) 0.6
Total Number of Copies 5
Annual Number of Revised Pages 15
Revision Cost per Page 7,500

Training and Training Devices

In this example, the avionics subsystem will require a new training course to support
training for system maintenance. This training course will require a new type of training device.
Table G-5 provides the input data associated with initial training, recurring training and the
training devices.

115
 Table G-5. Training and Training Devices Input Data
Initial Training Data
Per Diem ($/day) 150
Round Trip Cost ($) 1,500
System Maintainer Course
Year 2020
Class Hours 24
Development Cost per Class Hour 50,000
Trainee Labor Rate ($/hour) 45
Number of Trainees 30
Number of Days 3
Number of Instructors 3
Instructor Labor Rate ($/hour) 75
Recurring Training Data
Unit-Level
Recurring Training Hours 24
Development Cost per Class Hour 50,000
Annual Turnover Rate 0.33
Training Devices Data
Repair Trainer Unit
Year Cost Incurred 2020
Quantity of Devices 15
Init Cost for Device ($) 200,000

Model Output

Acquisition Logistics Costs

Table G-6 shows the estimated acquisition logistics costs for the avionics subsystem.

116
 Table G-6. Total Acquisition Logistics Costs
FY 2020 Dollars in Thousands Total
Initial Support Equipment 12,100
Initial Spares 51,150
Initial Tech Data 2,754
Initial Training 1,307
Training Devices 3,000
Total 70,311

O&S Costs
Table G-7 shows the estimated O&S costs for the avionics subsystem.

Table G-7. Total O&S Costs

Depot
FY 2020 Dollars in Thousands Unit Level Level Total
Repair Labor 1,536,622 4,621,407 6,158,029
Support Equipment Maintenance 2,032,292 2,531,250 4,563,542
Recurring Training 1,257,945 - 1,257,945
Repair Parts and Material - 14,054,148 14,054,148
Consumables - 1,405,415 1,405,415
Condemnation Spares 2,236,611 9,716,861 11,953,472
Technical Data Revisions 493,750 2,221,875 2,715,625
Total 7,792,217 35,403,940 43,196,157

Other Considerations
This example was limited in scope for demonstration purposes, and did not address other
costs that might be appropriate for a specific application. The CASA model has equations that
could be used for other costs not illustrated in this example. Examples that could be added
include costs for facilities modifications and maintenance, item management, contractor services,
engineering changes, software maintenance, transportation, and warranties. The model also
permits a more sophisticated approach for hardware reliability that allows the use of reliability
growth models.
The model also provides an extensive menu of a wide range of output reports not shown in
this appendix. There are options for reports on annual costs in constant, then-year, and
discounted dollars. In addition, more detailed reports provide visibility into the costs of the
distinct LRUs and SRUs, support equipment utilization, and maintenance workload at each
location. There are also input data reports that the analyst can use for study data verification. The
model also provides the analyst with a wide variety of sensitivity analysis reports concerning the
117
major input data. The model also provides features that enable the development of an S-curve
risk model for the cost estimate.

Equations
The remainder of this appendix provides a simplified review of the accounting equations
used for the elements of annual O&S cost for this example. Equations are provided for repair
labor, support equipment maintenance, recurring training, repair parts and material,
condemnation spares, and technical data revisions. Note that the equations are different for each
level of maintenance.

Repair Labor
Unit Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )((1 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖 )(𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖 )(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)

�
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖

Depot Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )((1 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖 )(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑖𝑖 )(𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖 )(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)

� +
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )((1 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )(𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)

�
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖,𝑗𝑗

Support Equipment Maintenance

Unit Level

�(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑘𝑘 )(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑘𝑘 )(𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝑘𝑘 )

𝑘𝑘

Depot Level

�(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑙𝑙 )(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑙𝑙 )(𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝑙𝑙 )

𝑙𝑙

118
Recurring Training
Unit Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)
160

Depot Level

(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)
160

Repair Parts and Material

Unit Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )((1 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖 )(1 − 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑖𝑖 )(𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖 ))

�
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖

Depot Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )((1 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖 )(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑖𝑖 )(𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖 )

� +
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )((1 − 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )(𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )

�
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖,𝑗𝑗

Condemnation Spares
Unit Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )((𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖 )(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑖𝑖 )

�
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖

Depot Level

(𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁)(𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂)(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖 )(𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑄𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )((𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 )

�
𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖
𝑖𝑖,𝑗𝑗

119
Technical Data Revisions
Unit Level

(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)(𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈)

Depot Level

(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)(𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷)

Model Inputs
NS = Number of systems
OH = Operating hours per system
NU = Number of units
UMLR = Unit-level maintenance labor rate (dollars per hour)
DMLR = Depot-level maintenance labor rate (dollars per hour)

For LRUs:
QPNHAi = Quantity per next higher assembly for the ith item
CONDi = Decimal fraction of failures that result in condemnation for the ith item
MTTRi = Mean time to repair for the ith item
MTBFi = Mean time between failure for the ith item
NRTSi = Decimal fraction of failures that are Not Repairable This Station for the ith item
MCPRi = Material cost per repair for the ith item
UCi = Unit cost (for spares) for the ith item

For SRUs:
QPNHAij = Quantity per next higher assembly for the jth item of the ith LRU
CONDij = Decimal fraction of failures that result in condemnation for the jth item of the ith
LRU
MTTRij = Mean time to repair for the jth item of the ith LRU
MTBFij = Mean time between failure for the jth item of the ith LRU
NRTSij = Decimal fraction of failures that are Not Repairable This Station for the jth item of
the ith LRU

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MCPRij = Material cost per repair for the jth item of the ith LRU
UCi j = Unit cost (for spares) for the jth item of the ith LRU

For support equipment:

QSEUk = Quantity per unit of the kth item of unit-level support equipment
UCSEUk = Unit cost of the kth item of unit-level support equipment
AMFUk = Annual maintenance cost (as a decimal fraction of unit cost) of the kth item of
unit-level support equipment
QSEDl = Quantity of the lth item of depot-level support equipment
UCSEDUl = Unit cost of the lth item of depot-level support equipment
AMFDl = Annual maintenance cost (as a decimal fraction of unit cost) of the lth item of
depot-level support equipment

For recurring training:

UTOR = Annual turnover rate of unit-level maintenance personnel
UTRHRS = Number of hours required to train new unit-level maintenance personnel
DTOR = Annual turnover rate of depot-level maintenance personnel
DTRHRS = Number of hours required to train new depot-level maintenance personnel

For technical data revisions:

UQTYRPG = Number of pages of technical documentation that will be revised each year at
the unit level
UCSTRPG = Average cost per page to develop technical document revisions at the unit level
DQTYRPG = Number of pages of technical documentation that will be revised each year at
the depot level
DCSTRPG = Average cost per page to develop technical document revisions at the depot
level

Model Intermediate Calculations

UMAXMMH = Unit-level maintenance man-hours per month per location
DMAXMMH = Depot-level maintenance man-hours per month

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 APPENDIX H
Relevant Statutory Requirements

Introduction
Over the last decade, the Congress has established extensive and demanding statutory
requirements pertaining to operating and support (O&S) cost estimation, as well as
sustainment or product support management, for major Department of Defense (DoD)
weapon systems. This appendix is intended to summarize these requirements. This appendix
also provides discussion and references relevant to the current DoD implementation of these
statutory requirements.

Relevant Statutory Requirements in Title 10, United States Code

Section 2334, Independent Cost Estimation and Analysis

Section 2334 establishes numerous responsibilities and authorities for the Director of
Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (DCAPE) pertaining to cost estimation and cost
analysis for the acquisition programs of DoD. In particular, this section requires the
Director to issue guidance relating to full consideration of life-cycle management and
sustainability costs in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) and major
subprograms. In addition, this section also provides responsibilities and authorities
concerning cost data collection. This section was most recently revised in the National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2018.
Further explanation of the policies and procedures that address the DoD
implementation of this section are provided in DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.73, Cost
Analysis Guidance and Procedures. Some of the topics addressed in this instruction include
Independent Cost Estimates (ICEs) and other cost analyses, Component Cost Positions
(CCPs), Full Funding Certification Memoranda, and requirements for cost data collection
and reporting. Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE)’s perspective on the best
practices for cost estimation in general is provided in the DoD Cost Estimating Guide.
Additional discussion specific to O&S cost estimation and weapon system sustainment are
provided in this guide.

Section 2366a, Major Defense Acquisition Programs: Determination Required Before

Milestone A Approval
Section 2366a states that an MDAP may not receive Milestone A approval until the
Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) determines in writing that the program meets several

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specific criteria. One of the criteria that must be met is that planning for sustainment has
been addressed and that a determination of applicability of core logistics (i.e., depot-level
maintenance and repair) capabilities requirements has been made. Another one of the
criteria that must be met is that a cost estimate for the program has been submitted, with the
concurrence of DCAPE, and that the level of resources required to develop, procure, and
sustain the program is sufficient for successful program execution.
Additionally, within 15 days of granting Milestone A approval, the MDA is required
to submit the program cost and schedule estimates, as well as the ICE, to the congressional
defense committees. This section was most recently revised in the NDAA for FY 2019.

Section 2366b, Major Defense Acquisition Programs: Determination Required Before

Milestone B Approval
Section 2366b states that an MDAP may not receive Milestone B approval until the
MDA determines in writing that the program meets several specific criteria. One of the
criteria that must be met is that life-cycle sustainment planning, including corrosion
prevention and mitigation planning, has identified and evaluated relevant sustainment costs
throughout development, production, operation, sustainment, and disposal of the program,
and any alternatives, and that such costs are reasonable and have been accurately estimated.
Another one of the criteria that must be met is that reasonable cost and schedule estimates
have been developed to execute—with the concurrence of the Director, CAPE (DCAPE)—
the product development and production plan under the program.

Additionally, within 15 days of granting Milestone B approval, the MDA is required

to submit the program cost and schedule estimates, as well as the ICE, to the congressional
defense committees. This section was most recently revised in the NDAA for FY 2019.

Section 2366c, Major Defense Acquisition Programs: Submissions to Congress on

Milestone C
Section 2366c requires that the MDA provide the congressional defense committees a
brief summary report not later than 15 days after granting Milestone C approval for an
MDAP. This report includes the estimated cost and schedule for the program established by
the military department concerned, including (1) the dollar values estimated for the program
acquisition unit cost, average procurement unit cost, and total life-cycle cost, and (2) the
planned dates for initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) and initial operational
capability (IOC). This report also includes the ICE for the program and any independent
estimated schedule for the program, including (1) the dollar values estimated for the
program acquisition unit cost, average procurement unit cost, and total life-cycle cost, and
(2) the planned dates for IOT&E and IOC. This section was most recently revised in the
NDAA for FY 2018.

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Section 2337, Life-Cycle Management and Product Support
Section 2337 requires DoD to issue and maintain comprehensive guidance on life-
cycle management and the development and implementation of product support strategies
for major weapon systems. Specifically, each major weapon system shall have a product
support manager responsible for the development and implementation of the weapon system
product support strategy. This section was most recently revised in the NDAA for FY 2014.
Further explanation of the policies and procedures that address the DoD
implementation of this section are provided in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3D (“Product
Support”). Additional discussion specific to weapon system sustainment and O&S cost
management are provided in the following:

• Chapter 4 (“Life Cycle Sustainment”) of the Defense Acquisition Guidebook,

• Performance Based Logistics Guidebook,
• Product Support Manager Guidebook, and
• Operating and Support Cost Management Guidebook.

Section 2337a, Assessment, Management, and Control of Operating and Support Costs
Section 2337a requires DoD to issue and maintain guidance on a wide range of actions
to be taken to assess, manage and control DoD costs for the operation and support of major
weapon systems. This section was added by the NDAA for FY 2012, and codified into
statute by the NDAA for FY 2018. Note that this section requires that the guidance for this
section be issued in conjunction with the guidance for the requirements of Section 2337,
Life-Cycle Management, described earlier.
Specifically, Section 2337a requires DoD guidance to address the following elements:
• Establish policies and procedures for the collection, organization, maintenance,
and availability of standardized data on O&S costs for major weapon systems.
• Establish standard requirements for the collection and reporting of O&S costs for
major weapon systems by contractors performing weapon system sustainment
functions in an appropriate format, and develop contract clauses to ensure that
contractors comply with such requirements.
• Include reliability metrics for major weapon systems and requirements on the use
of metrics as triggers—
– to conduct further investigation and analysis into drivers of the metrics, and
– to develop strategies for improving reliability, availability, and maintainability
of such systems at an affordable cost.

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 Further explanation of the policies and procedures that address the DoD
implementation of the first two elements is provided in Chapter 6 of this guide. Further
explanation of the policies and procedures that address the DoD implementation of the third
element are provided in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3D (“Product Support”). Additional
discussion is provided in Chapter 4 (“Life Cycle Sustainment”) of the Defense Acquisition
Guidebook. Note that this particular element (reliability metrics) has been expanded by
more recent legislation (Section 2443, Sustainment Factors in Weapon System Design)
described later in this appendix.
In addition, the DCAPE is responsible for developing and maintaining a database on
O&S cost estimates, supporting documentation, and actual O&S costs for major weapon
systems. The implementation of this element is described in Chapter 6 of this guide, which
described the military department Visibility and Management of Operating and Support
Costs (VAMOSC) systems, and the EVAMOSC initiative. In addition, CAPE now collects
independent cost estimates, CCPs, and various related cost estimation and acquisition
documents and briefings and stores them in the Cost Assessment Data Enterprise (CADE)
library.
Each military department is responsible for the following elements:

• Retain each estimate of O&S costs that is developed at any time during the life
cycle of a major weapon system, together with the supporting documentation used
to develop the estimate.
• Update estimates of O&S costs periodically throughout the life cycle of a major
weapon system, to determine whether preliminary information and assumptions
remain relevant and accurate, and identify and record reasons for variances.
• Collect and retain data from operational and developmental testing and evaluation
on the reliability and maintainability of major weapon systems, and use such data to
inform system design decisions, provide insight into sustainment costs, and inform
estimates of O&S costs for such systems.
• Ensure that sustainment factors are fully considered at key life-cycle management
decision points and that appropriate measures are taken to reduce O&S costs by
influencing system design early in development, developing sound sustainment
strategies, and addressing key drivers of costs.
• Conduct an Independent Logistics Assessment (ILA) 13 of each major weapon
system prior to key acquisition decision points (including milestone decisions) to

13
An ILA is an analysis of a program’s supportability planning and execution conducted by a team of
impartial subject matter experts. An ILA assesses the program’s product support strategy, as well as how
this strategy is resulting in the effective operation of the system at an affordable cost. ILAs are described in
the Logistics Assessment Guidebook.

126
 identify features that are likely to drive future O&S costs, and effective strategies
for managing such costs.
• Conduct periodic reviews of O&S costs of major weapon systems after such
systems achieve IOC to identify and address factors resulting in growth in O&S
costs and adapt support strategies to reduce such costs.
Estimates of O&S costs are updated at each program milestone review, and also may
be updated each year for inclusion in the annual program Selected Acquisition Report
(SAR). The format for SAR reporting is described in Chapter 5 of this guide.
The tracking of reliability and maintainability data from test and evaluation is
described in Appendix E of this guide. These data can be used to inform design trades and
cost estimates in one of two ways, depending on the maturity of the program. One way
would be to use parametric cost estimating relationships that estimate maintenance costs as
a function of reliability and other independent variables, as discussed in Chapter 7 of this
guide. Another way would be to use a bottom-up accounting model for O&S costs that
considers reliability and maintainability factors as model inputs, as discussed in
Appendix G of this guide.

Discussion about the consideration of sustainment factors in the influence of system

design at all key management decision points is provided in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3D
(“Product Support”). Additional discussion is provided in Chapter 4 (“Life Cycle
Sustainment”) of the Defense Acquisition Guidebook.

Section 2379f, Major Weapon System Defined

In Section 2379f, the term major weapon system means a weapon system acquired
pursuant to an MDAP. The term major weapon system is used throughout this guide.

Section 2437, Development of Major Defense Acquisition Programs: Sustainment of

System to be Replaced
Section 2437 states that whenever a new MDAP begins development, the defense
acquisition authority responsible for that program shall develop a plan (to be known as a
“sustainment plan”) for the existing system that the system under development is intended
to replace. This section was added by the NDAA for FY 2005.

Guidance on the replaced system sustainment plan is provided in DoDI 5000.85,

Appendix 3D (“Product Support”).

Section 2441, Sustainment Reviews

Section 2441 requires that the Secretary of each military department shall conduct a
sustainment review of each major weapon system not later than five years after declaration

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of IOC of an MDAP and throughout the life cycle of the weapon system to assess the
product support strategy, performance, and O&S costs of the weapon system. For any
review after the first one, the Secretary concerned shall use availability and reliability
thresholds and cost estimates as the basis for the circumstances that prompt such a review.
This section was added by the NDAA for FY 2017.
Each sustainment review is required to include the following elements:
• An independent cost estimate for the remainder of the life cycle of the program.
• A comparison of actual costs to the amount of funds budgeted and appropriated in
the previous five years, and if funding shortfalls exist, an explanation of the
implications on equipment availability.
• A comparison between the assumed and achieved system reliabilities.
• An analysis of the most cost-effective source of repairs and maintenance.
• An evaluation of the cost of consumables and depot level reparables.
• An evaluation of the costs of information technology, networks, computer
hardware, and software maintenance and upgrades.
• As applicable, an assessment of the actual fuel efficiencies compared to the
projected fuel efficiencies as demonstrated in tests and operations.
• As applicable, a comparison of actual manpower requirements to previous
estimates.
• An analysis of whether accurate and complete data are being reported in the cost
systems of the military department concerned, and if deficiencies exist, a plan to
update the data and ensure accurate and complete data are submitted in the future.
Guidance on sustainment reviews is provided in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3D
(“Product Support”). Suggested analytic methods that can support sustainment reviews are
provided in Appendix E of this guide.

Section 2443, Sustainment Factors in Weapon System Design

Section 2443 states that DoD shall ensure that the defense acquisition system gives
ample emphasis to sustainment factors, particularly those factors that are affected
principally by the design of a weapon system, in the development of a weapon system. DoD
also shall ensure that reliability and maintainability are included in the performance
attributes of the key performance parameter on sustainment during the development of
capabilities requirements. In addition, DoD shall ensure that sustainment factors, including
reliability and maintainability, are given ample emphasis in the process for source selection

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of a contract for engineering and manufacturing development of a weapon system. This
section was added by the NDAA for FY 2018.
Guidance on this requirement is provided in Annex D (“Sustainment KPP Guide”) to
Appendix G (“Development of Performance Attributes”) of the Joint Capabilities
Integration and Development System (JCIDS) Manual, and in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3D
(“Product Support”). The JCIDS Manual establishes that the capabilities needs documents
for all MDAPs will include a Sustainment Key Performance Parameter (KPP). This is
intended to ensure that the requirements and acquisition communities consider sustainment,
including reliability and maintainability, as a requirement in the development of the
program design. The Sustainment KPP is supported by several elements:
• Requirements for Materiel Availability and Operational Availability.
• A supporting Key System Attribute (KSA) or Additional Performance Attribute
(APA) for Reliability.
• A supporting KSA or APA for Maintainability.
• A supporting KSA or APA for O&S costs.
This KPP is mandatory for a program’s Capability Development Document and is
included in the Acquisition Program Baseline. Beginning at Milestone B, the parameters of
the KPP are subject to reporting and tracking as the program proceeds through the
acquisition phases.

The JCIDS Manual states that the O&S costs included with the Sustainment KPP
should conform to the cost element structure provided in this guide.
The developers of the sustainment KPP requirements are expected to conduct up-front
trade studies and other analyses to determine sustainment requirements that are balanced
with program acquisition cost and what is achievable based on technology maturity. The
process for conducting these trade studies is described in the Reliability, Availability,
Maintainability, and Cost (RAM-C) Manual. A RAM-C Report documents the rationale
behind the development of the sustainment metric requirements, including reliability
metrics, along with underlying assumptions and supporting analyses. The RAM-C Manual
also provides guidance to the acquisition community to ensure that the sustainment
requirements can be measured and tested throughout the program life cycle.

Regarding the requirement concerning the source selection process, DoDI 5000.85,
Appendix 3D “(Product Support”) requires that solicitations to be used in weapon system
procurements include criteria for sustainment factors principally affected by design and
development, and that those criteria receive ample emphasis in source selection.

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Section 2448a, Program Cost, Fielding, and Performance Goals in Planning for Major
Defense Acquisition Programs
Section 2448a requires the MDA to establish program cost and fielding targets for an
MDAP before Milestone A, B, or C approval. The program cost targets are the procurement
unit cost and sustainment cost. The program fielding target is the date for IOC. This section
was added by the NDAA for FY 2017.
Guidance on this requirement is provided in DoDI 5000.85, Appendix 3C
(“Additional Program Management Considerations”). In this guidance, the term sustainment
cost is treated as synonymous with operating and support cost.

Section 2460, Definition of Depot-Level Maintenance and Repair

Section 2460 defines the term depot-level maintenance and repair as material
maintenance or repair requiring the overhaul, upgrading, or rebuilding of parts, assemblies,
or subassemblies, and the testing and reclamation of equipment as necessary, regardless of
the source of funds for the maintenance or the location at which the maintenance or repair is
performed. The term includes (1) all aspects of software maintenance classified by DoD as
depot-level maintenance and repair, and (2) interim contractor support or contractor
logistics support, to the extent that such support is for the performance of services described
in the preceding sentence. This section was last modified by the NDAA for FY 2013.

Section 2464, Core Logistics Capabilities

Section 2464 establishes the policy that it is essential for DoD to maintain a core
logistics capability that is Government-owned and Government-operated to ensure a ready
source of technical competence and resources necessary to ensure effective and timely
response to a mobilization, national defense contingency situations, and other emergency
requirements. DoD is required to identify this core logistics capability, and the peacetime
workload required to maintain this capability, that is necessary to maintain and repair the
weapon systems and other military equipment (including mission-essential weapon systems
or materiel not later than four years after achieving IOC) necessary to support the
Department’s strategic and contingency plans. DoD is required to submit a biennial report
on whether or not it has the required core capability in military depots to support fielded
systems. This section was last modified by the NDAA for FY 2019.

The process to define the numerical magnitude of the workload to maintain core
logistics capabilities is documented in DoDI 4151.20, Depot Maintenance Core
Capabilities Determination Process.

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Section 2466, Limitations on the Performance of Depot-Level Maintenance of Materiel
Section 2466 states that not more than 50 percent of the funds made available in a
fiscal year to a military department or defense agency for depot-level maintenance and
repair workload may be used to contract for the performance by non-Federal Government
personnel of such workload for the military department or the defense agency. This
restriction is applied to each military department or defense agency as a whole, and is not
applied to individual systems or commodity types. Any such funds that are not used for
such a contract shall be used for the performance of depot-level maintenance and repair
workload by employees of DoD. DoD is required to submit an annual report identifying, for
each of the armed forces and each defense agency, the percentage of the funds that was
expended during the preceding fiscal year, and are projected to be expended during the
current fiscal year and the ensuing fiscal year, for performance of depot-level maintenance
and repair workloads by the public and private sectors. This section was last modified by
the NDAA for FY 2010.

Section 2474, Centers of Industrial and Technical Excellence: Designation, Public-

Private Partnerships
Section 2474 states that the Secretary of each military department shall designate each
depot-level activity in that department as a Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence
(CITE) in one or more specific technical competencies required for the core capability
required to be identified by Section 2464 described earlier. Work for depot maintenance
performed at an organic depot designated as a CITE, related to the technical competencies
of the CITE, by a contractor pursuant to a public-private partnership is not counted for
purposes of applying the 50/50 percentage limitation on contractor workload established by
Section 2466 described earlier. The three basic types of public-private partnerships are:
• Workshare: An arrangement where workload at the CITE is shared between the
contractor and the organic activity.
• Direct Sale: An arrangement where workload at the CITE is handled through a
contractual relationship between the contractor and organic activity for the
purchase of depot maintenance services.
• Lease: An arrangement where a contractor may have access to facilities and
equipment located at an organic depot designated as a CITE through a lease.
This section was last modified by the NDAA for FY 2019.

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Other Relevant Statutory Requirements

Section 804, Middle Tier of Acquisition for Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Fielding
Section 804 of the NDAA for FY 2016 establishes a “middle tier” of acquisition
programs that are intended to be completed within five years. These programs would fall
between “rapid acquisitions” that are generally completed within six months to two years,
and “traditional” acquisition programs that last much longer than five years. Middle tier
acquisition provides for two acquisition pathways: (1) rapid prototyping (prototypes with
innovative technologies), and (2) rapid fielding (new or upgraded systems with minimal
development). Programs in this middle tier are to follow streamlined procedures, and are to
be exempt from the traditional requirements and acquisition processes. DoD guidance for
middle tier acquisition must establish a process for transitioning successful prototypes to
new or existing programs for production and fielding under the rapid fielding pathway or
the traditional acquisition process.
This guidance was provided in DoDI 5000.80, Operation of the Middle Tier of
Acquisition (MTA). As stated in this instruction, program managers and product support
managers are to develop and implement sustainment programs addressing product support
elements to deliver affordable readiness. For the rapid fielding programs, the DoD
Components are to develop a process for considering life-cycle costs, address issues of
logistics support and training, and identify and exploit opportunities to reduce total
ownership costs. This process will result in a tailored life-cycle sustainment plan. DoDI
5000.80 also states that the DCAPE establishes policies and prescribes procedures for the
collection of cost data and cost estimates for MTA programs, as appropriate.
CAPE has established new procedures for cost estimates for MTA programs in the
most recent revision to DoDI 5000.73, Cost Analysis Guidance and Procedures. Procedures
for MTA cost estimates were briefly mentioned in Chapter 5 of this guide and additional
details including timelines are provided in DoDI 5000.73.

Section 809, Advisory Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations

Section 809 of the NDAA for FY 2016 called for the Secretary of Defense to establish
an independent advisory panel on streamlining acquisition regulations. A Defense Technical
Information Center website (discover.dtic.mil/section-809-panel/) provides the various
reports and recommendations made by the panel from August 2016 to its conclusion in July
2019. Recommendation 41 of the panel calls for DoD to establish a sustainment program
baseline, implement key enablers of sustainment, elevate sustainment to equal standing with
development and procurement, and improve the defense materiel enterprise focus on
weapon system readiness.

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 The Department has not implemented this recommendation at the time of the
publication of this guide. However, as noted earlier in this appendix, Section 2337a already
requires the military departments to update estimates of O&S costs periodically throughout
the life cycle of a major weapon system. In addition, the program SAR reporting provides a
comparison between the current O&S cost estimate and the SAR baseline objective and
threshold values for total O&S costs.

Section 832, Implementation of Recommendations of the Independent Study on

Consideration of Sustainment in Weapon Systems Life Cycle
Section 832 of the NDAA for FY 2019 requires the Secretary of Defense to
commence implementation of each recommendation of an independent assessment
conducted by the MITRE Corporation (of the extent to which sustainment matters are
considered in decisions related to requirements, acquisition, cost estimating, programming
and budgeting, and research and development for MDAPs). The specific MITRE
recommendations pertaining to O&S cost data systems for the Department, which are now
being addressed by the EVAMOSC initiative, are described in Chapter 6 of this guide.

Section 879, Briefing on Funding of Product Support Strategies

Section 879 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2019 requires the
Secretary of Defense to provide an annotated briefing to the congressional defense
committees regarding the funding for product support strategies for major weapon systems
for each of the fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022. The briefing shall include for each major
weapon system:
• A current estimate of the total funding required for the product support strategy for
specific costs of the weapon system over its expected life cycle.
• A current estimate of the funding required for the product support strategy per
year over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) for the specific product
support costs of the weapon system.
• A summary of the funding requested for the product support strategy in the FYDP
per year specifically for the weapon system.
• A summary of the amounts expended to support costs specific to the weapon
system as described in the product support strategy of the weapon system during
the prior fiscal year.
• A summary of the improvements made to data collection and analysis capabilities
of DoD, including in the military services, to improve the analysis and cost
estimation of life-cycle costs, improve the analysis and identification of cost
drivers, reduce life-cycle cost variance, identify common and shared costs for

133
multiple weapon systems, and isolate the life-cycle costs attributable to specific
individual weapon systems.

134
 APPENDIX I
Rates for Military and Civilian Manpower

Some cost estimates use manpower estimates obtained from unit manning documents
or tables of organization and equipment. In such cases, it is necessary to apply manpower
rates to the unit manning documents.
Manpower costs for active officers and enlisted personnel include the elements of the
DoD Standard Composite Rates for military personnel, which include the following items:
basic pay, retired pay accrual, Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care (MERHC) accrual,
basic allowance for housing, basic allowance for subsistence/subsistence-in-kind, incentive
and special pays, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) expense, and miscellaneous expenses
such as the employer’s contribution to social security (FICA) and uniform/clothing
allowances. Each year, the OSD Comptroller issues the military personnel composite
standard pay rates for each military service to be used in cost estimates. These rates can be
found at the OSD Comptroller public website http://comptroller.defense.gov/Financial-
Management/Reports (Tab K).
Manpower costs for officers and enlisted personnel in the reserve components
(National Guard and Reserve) include basic pay, retired pay accrual, MERHC accrual, basic
allowance for housing, subsistence, and miscellaneous expenses. PCS costs are included for
full-time members. Reserve manpower costs vary among different pay categories of reserve
personnel. Cost estimates of reserve personnel should separately identify the number of
personnel using the following categories:
• Full-time – Active/Guard/Reserve (AGR) members
• Drill Personnel (Pay Group A) – drilling members of a Selected Reserve Unit
The cost of drill personnel depends on the extent of their annual drill time. The
average annual drill time should be used and documented in developing a cost estimate.
Some military departments also have reserve military technicians, federal civilian
employees who also serve in a dual status as military reservists, who receive both civilian
and drill pay.
Rates for reserve personnel for each pay category can be derived from the military
personnel budget justification material submitted by the National Guard and Reserve of
each military service. In these budget justification materials, the funding for reserve
personnel can be found in a table known as the Summary of Entitlements by Subactivity,
and the end-strength can be found in a table known as the Summary of Personnel.

135
 The Naval VAMOSC system obtains actual Active and Reserve military manpower
costs for pay and allowances from Defense Finance and Accounting Service pay files that
are provided by the Defense Manpower Data Center. Additionally, PCS costs are obtained
from the Bureau of Navy Personnel, FICA and retired pay accrual are calculated as
percentages of basic pay, and MERHC accrual is the annual published per capita actuarial
allocation amount.
The costs of government civilian manpower consist of the elements of the DoD
Composite Standard Rates for civilian employees, which are the following: regular salaries
and wages, additional variable payments (for overtime, holiday pay, night differentials, and
awards), cost-of-living allowances, and the government contribution to employee benefits:
insurance, retirement, Social Security contributions, and certain relocation expenses that are
regarded as benefits.
A version of the OP-8 budget exhibit (“Total Civilian Personnel Costs”) for DoD as a
whole can be found in the DoD Operations and Maintenance (O&M) budget overview.
Rates are provided for the Senior Executive Schedule, General Schedule, Wage System, and
other categories of US DoD employees. The exhibit also provides rates for foreign national
direct and indirect hires. Additionally, each military department prepares its own version of
an OP-8 display for each appropriation with civilian personnel costs.

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 APPENDIX J
References

Directives, Instructions, Manuals and Regulations

(a) DoD Directive 5105.84, Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation
(DCAPE), May 11, 2012
(b) DoD Instruction 5000.73, Cost Analysis Guidance and Procedures, March 13,
2020
(c) DoD 5000.04-M-1, Cost and Software Data Reporting (CSDR) Manual,
November 4, 2011
(d) DoD Directive 5000.01, The Defense Acquisition System, May 12, 2003, as
amended
(e) DoD Instruction 5000.02, Operation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework,
January 23, 2020
(f) DoD Instruction 5000.85, Major Capability Acquisition, August 6, 2020
(g) DoD Instruction 5000.80, Operation of the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA),
December 30, 2019
(h) MIL-STD-881D, Work Breakdown Structures for Defense Materiel Items, April 9,
2018
(i) CJCS Manual, Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS)
Manual, August 31, 2018
(j) Department of Defense Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Cost
Rationale Report Manual, June 1, 2009
(k) DoD 7000.14-R, DoD Financial Management Regulation, May 2019
(l) DoD Instruction 4151.20, DoD Maintenance Core Capabilities Determination
Process, May 4, 2018, as amended

Guides and Other Publications

(m) DoD Cost Estimating Guide, publication pending
(n) Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysis, April 2016
(o) Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysis: Analyst Handbook,
January 2017

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(p) Joint Agency Cost Estimating Relationship (CER) Development Handbook,
February 9, 2018
(q) Joint Agency Cost Schedule Risk and Uncertainty Handbook, March 12, 2014
(r) Defense Acquisition Guidebook
(s) Operating and Support Cost Management Guidebook, February 2016
(t) Product Support Manager Guidebook, December 2019
(u) Integrated Product Support (IPS) Elements Guidebook, July 31, 2019
(v) Performance Based Logistics Guidebook, April 2016
(w) DoD Product Support Business Case Analysis Guidebook, March 2014
(x) Logistics Assessment Guidebook, July 2011
(y) Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Cost (RAM-C) Rationale Report
Outline Guidance, February 28, 2017

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 Abbreviations

AC Aircraft

ACEIT Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools

ADM Acquisition Decision Memorandum

AFTOC Air Force Total Ownership Cost

AGR Active/Guard/Reserve

AoA Analysis of Alternatives

APB Acquisition Program Baseline

APA Additional Performance Attribute

CADE Cost Assessment Data Enterprise

CAPE Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation

CARD Cost Analysis Requirements Description

CASA Cost Analysis Strategy Assessment

CCP Component Cost Position

CDD Capability Development Document

CER Cost Estimating Relationship

CITE Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence

CLS Contractor Logistics Support

CSDR Cost and Software Data Reporting

CVT Consolidated VAMOSC Tool

CY Constant-Year

DAES Defense Acquisition Executive Summary

DCAPE Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation

DeCA Defense Commissary Agency

DLA Defense Logistics Agency

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DLR Depot Level Reparable

DoD Department of Defense

DoDEA DoD Education Activity

DoDI DoD Instruction

DOT&E Director of Operational Test and Evaluation

DWCF Defense Working Capital Fund

EMD Engineering and Manufacturing Development

EVAMOSC Enterprise VAMOSC

FH Flying Hour

FICA Social Security (Federal Insurance Contributions Act)

FSR Field Service Representative

FWG Functional Working Group

FY Fiscal Year

FYDP Future Years Defense Program

GDP Gross Domestic Product

IAVM Information Assurance Vulnerability Management

ICE Independent Cost Estimate

ICS Interim Contractor Support

ILA Independent Logistics Assessment

IOC Initial Operational Capability

IOT&E Initial Operational Test and Evaluation

IPS Integrated Product Support

IT Information Technology

JCIDS Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System

KPP Key Performance Parameter

KSA Key System Attribute

LCN Logistics Control Number

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LEC Logistics and Engineering Center

LRIP Low-Rate Initial Production

LRU Line Replaceable Unit

MDA Milestone Decision Authority

MDAP Major Defense Acquisition Program

MERHC Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care

MTA Middle Tier of Acquisition

MTBF Mean Time Between Failures

MTBM Mean Time Between Maintenance

MTBR Mean Time Between Removals

MTTR Mean Time to Repair

NDAA National Defense Authorization Act

NIIN National Item Identification Number

NSN National Stock Number

O&M Operations and Maintenance

O&S Operating and Support

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

OMB Office of Management and Budget

OPTEMPO Operating Tempo

OSD Office of the Secretary of Defense

OSMIS Operating and Support Management Information System

P3 Public-Private Partnership

PBA Performance-Based Arrangement

PBL Performance-Based Logistics

PCS Permanent Change of Station

PE Program Element

R&M Reliability and Maintainability

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RAM Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability

RAM-C Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Cost

RCOH Refueling and Complex Overhaul

RDT&E Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

REMIS Reliability and Maintainability Information System

RMF Risk Management Framework

SAG Sub-Activity Group

SAR Selected Acquisition Report

SCN Shipbuilding and Conversion

SIL Software Integration Laboratory

SLOC Source Lines of Code

SMD Ship Manning Document

SRDR Software Resources Data Reporting

SRU Shop Replaceable Unit

TDY Temporary Duty

TY Then-Year

US United States

U.S.C. United States Code

USMC US Marine Corps

VAMOSC Visibility and Management of Operating and Support Costs

WBS Work Breakdown Structure

WUC Work Unit Code

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 Glossary

Availability. A measure of the degree to which a system is in an operable state and can be
committed at the start of a mission when the mission is called for at an unknown (random) point
in time.
Contractor logistics support. Contracted weapon system sustainment consisting of multiple
maintenance and support functions that occurs over the life of a weapon system.
Depot maintenance. Action performed for the major overhaul or complete rebuild of end items,
and the repair of secondary items. Depot maintenance requires extensive industrial facilities,
specialized tools and equipment, and uniquely experienced and trained personnel that are not
available at other levels of maintenance.
End item. The final production product when assembled or completed, and ready for issue or
deployment.
Independent logistics assessment. A comprehensive review of a program’s supportability
conducted by a team of impartial subject matter experts.
Interim contractor support. Temporary contractor support required to sustain a system during
its initial fielding before the period where a permanent support solution (organic, contractor, and
hybrid) is established.
Integrated product support. A management framework consisting of twelve elements (e.g.,
sustaining engineering, supply support, etc.) that guides the develop and implementation of a
program product support strategy.
Intermediate maintenance. The maintenance and repair of items that cannot be provided by the
organizational level of maintenance and that does not need to go to the depot level of
maintenance for major work.
Logistics reliability. The measure of the ability of an item to operate without placing a demand
on the logistics support structure for repair or adjustment.
Line replaceable unit. An item removed and replaced at the organizational level of maintenance
to restore an end item to an operationally ready condition. Also called weapon replacement
assembly.
Maintainability. The ability of an item to be retained in, or restored to, a specified condition
when maintenance is performed by personnel having specified skill levels, using prescribed
procedures and resources, at each prescribed level of maintenance and repair.
Maintenance. An action necessary to retain or restore an item to a specified condition.

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Manpower estimate. An estimate of the most effective mix of DoD manpower and contract
support for an acquisition program. Includes the number of personnel required to operate,
maintain, support, and train for the system fielded by an acquisition program upon full
operational deployment.
Materiel availability. The measure of the percentage of the total inventory of a system
operationally capable, based on materiel condition, of performing an assigned mission. This can
be expressed mathematically as the number of operationally available end items/total population.
The total system population includes all operational systems necessary to support the operational
context of the Capability Development Document including operational systems for training,
systems for attrition reserve and prepositioning, and systems temporarily in a non-operational
materiel condition, such as planned depot maintenance.
Mean time between failure. A measure of reliability for an item that represents the average time
between inherent failures during normal operation.
Mean time between maintenance. A measure of reliability for an item that represents the
average time between all maintenance actions, both corrective and preventative.
Mean time to repair. The total elapsed time (clock hours) for corrective maintenance for an
item divided by the total number of corrective maintenance actions during a given period.
Mission reliability. A measure of the ability of a system or item to perform its required function
for the duration of a specified mission profile, defined as the probability that the system or item
will not fail to complete the mission (without reference to battle damage).
Operating metric. A measure of system usage. Common operating metrics are flying hours
(aircraft), steaming hours (ships and submarines), and driving miles (vehicles).
Operational availability. A measure of the percentage of time that a system is operationally
capable of performing an assigned mission and can be expressed as (uptime/(uptime +
downtime)).
Organizational maintenance. The maintenance and repair of a system performed by the unit or
activity that employs the system. This maintenance includes inspections, servicing, handling, and
removal and replacement of parts.
Performance-based arrangement. A formal arrangement such as a contract or Memorandum of
Agreement for implementing a performance-based logistics strategy.
Performance-based logistics. A strategy for weapon system sustainment that is based on
specified performance outcomes as defined by performance metric(s) for a system. Applicable to
contracts with industry and inter-governmental agreements.
Product support. The package of support functions required to field and maintain the readiness
and operational capability of a major weapon system, subsystems, and components.
Product support business case analysis. An economic analysis that the program manager or
product support manager uses to decide among alternative product support strategies.

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Product support manager. The individual responsible for managing the package of product
support functions.
Product support strategy. The primary document that describes the business and technical
approach to plan, acquire, and implement the product support package.
Reliability. A measure of the probability that a system or item will perform without failure over
a specific interval, under specified conditions, without reference to battle damage. Measures
include mission reliability and logistics reliability.
Secondary item. Any item, including assemblies, subassemblies, and parts, that is not classified
as an end item.
Shop replaceable unit. An item removed and replaced at the intermediate level of maintenance.
Also called shop replaceable assembly.
Supply chain management. The integration of procurement, supply, maintenance, and
transportation functions with the physical, financial, information, and communications networks
to satisfy force materiel requirements.
Unit of usage. A measure of system usage or operating tempo (OPTEMPO). Common units of
usage are flying hours (aircraft), steaming hours (ships and submarines), and driving miles
(vehicles). Synonymous with usage metric.

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