Inside the JPAVSE

March 26, 2007
Bernard Gajkowski, chairman of the Joint Panel on Aviation Support Equipment talks about his upcoming quarterly meeting.

What is the Joint Panel of Aviation GSE's purpose?

The Joint Panel on Aviation Support Equipment, or JPAVSE ("Jay-PavZ"), is chartered under the Joint Aeronautical Logistics Commanders (JALC) to emphasize commonality and standardization of Aviation Ground Support Equipment (AGSE) for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other uniformed Services such as the U.S. Coast Guard.

Other tasks for which the JPAVSE is chartered include:

  • Timely acquisition of AGSE
  • Reduce the number of different types of equipment required to support weapon systems
  • Identify items of AGSE that are multi-functional or multi-tasking to assist the warfighter in reducing the deployment footprint
  • Reduce the total number of AGSE items in the DoD inventory
  • Improve and simplify AGSE through design quality;
  • Maximize resource utilization by investment cost savings and cost avoidance

What has the panel accomplished in the past?

Any time the Services can agree on a common item of AGSE that has potential application across the spectrum of military aviation, that is, equipment that can be used by the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, or any combination thereof, cost savings or avoidance is achieved by consolidating the acquisition program between the Services.

For example, the Army needed a flight line nitrogen generating capability. Rather than design a new system, or purchase a nitrogen generator that was different from other Services, the Army looked to the Air Force and found that the existing Air Force self-generating nitrogen servicing cart fulfilled Army requirements. The Army acquired and fielded some of these systems, although it has a different nomenclature for this system: the Generic Aircraft Nitrogen Generator.

Other successes are ongoing relationships for such common items as specialized aircraft tools and test sets, maintenance stands, jacks and other such equipment. Additionally, the Air Force and Navy have many successful joint acquisition programs involving fixed wing aircraft armament support equipment, for which the Army, with its primarily rotary wing fleet, does not have a requirement.

What will the panel be meeting about at Aviation Industry Expo '07?

The JPAVSE will share information regarding ongoing AGSE acquisition programs and will review programs that are in the research and development, or requirements development stage to determine if there is a common interest in future technology. At most meetings certain topics are selected for focus such as hydraulics or emerging technologies.

Why do they choose AIE for their meetings?

Whenever the Aviation Industry Expo puts on an event, the JPAVSE traditionally chooses that location for one of its quarterly meetings. In this way, JPAVSE principal members and associate members can enjoy the same benefits of the marketing and networking opportunities as other AIE attendees. This is the JPAVSE link to the industry to perform informal market surveys and link military aviation Service requirements to commercial technology.

Who are the members of the JPAVSE? What do you have to do to be a member?

It is important to point out that the JPAVSE is not an organization that is open to membership. Principal JPAVSE members are generally the senior officer or manager charged with AGSE acquisition programs for their Services. Associate members are generally the principal members' staffs, supporting agencies and users including engineers, logisticians, business managers and warfighters. Attendance to JPAVSE meetings is by invitation only. Contractors and vendors are typically invited to brief and interact with the forum when there is interest in a particular product or service that the vendor represents. Contractors or vendors who have a interest in providing information to the JPAVSE may contact the JPAVSE ecretariat who will put them in contact with the appropriate person or office if there is an interest in their expertise.

Currently, the Army is the lead service for the JPAVSE, chaired by the Army Product Manager, Aviation Ground Support Equipment, Mr. Bernard Gajkowski. The secretariat is Mr. Gregory McCann (SAIC). Queries or contacts may be sent to the secretariat at [email protected].