Tobyhanna Army Depot, PA –
Tobyhanna Army Depot’s engineering community achieved a cost avoidance of over $42 million through a value engineering project that took place over the course of a year and a half.
The project focused on the Power Amplifier Module, a key component of the lifesaving AN/TPQ-37 Firefinder radar system. Twelve PAMs, as they are commonly referred to, are required to power each full radar.
As our nation and partner nations have done time and time again for more than 70 years, they turned to Tobyhanna and its dynamic civilian workforce when radars were needed.
Eager to complete this mission efficiently and effectively, Tobyhanna sought quotes for new PAMs but found the $330,000 per PAM cost prohibitive and the one-year lead time unacceptable for mission requirements. Attention then turned to repairing PAMs already on the depot. Tobyhanna has long supported Firefinder systems and had accumulated a stockpile of failed PAMs because of a lack of organic support for that component.
Because the PAM wasn’t intended to be repaired, TMD, the original manufacturer, could not provide technical orders for the repair process. Undeterred, a team of Tobyhanna employees accepted the challenge of developing test and repair capability. Relying on Tobyhanna engineering’s vast radar experience, the team analyzed the limited available documentation and were able to assemble functional PAM test stations by fabricating test fixtures, configuring test equipment, and utilizing components harvested from developmental test stations.
With the test stations set up, systems were pulled from storage and engineers tested PAMs for functionality. Emblematic of the warrior ethos ever present in the halls of Tobyhanna, the engineers were not content to stop there. Instead, the engineering team further inspected the operation of the device to make additional repairs to enhance the system’s reliability and extend its longevity.
Some PAMs required a simpler fix like voltage realignment or conditioning of output power tubes and were brought back to operational status quickly to meet the original requirements of the tasker. For the PAMs facing more complex issues, engineers identified critical components and subsystems, especially those deemed high failure items, that could be tested for functionality individually. Functional components of PAMs could then be harvested and inventoried before reassembling fully functional PAMs out of the harvested components.
In all, 379 PAMs were tested, and 171 functional PAMs were supplied. As a result of the determined and innovative effort, Tobyhanna was able to provide more reliable and long lasting radar support to a ready, modern, and prepared generation of warfighters.
Tobyhanna Army Depot Electronics Engineer Jim Jarick, who led the engineering effort, said the pride he has in this mission is two-fold.
“I take a lot of pride in the work of this engineering team we put together. That work allowed Tobyhanna to ship radars that would not have been able to ship if not for this effort,” said Jarick. “This effort provided lifesaving support.”
Tobyhanna Army Depot Lead Process Improvement Specialist Kevin Umbaugh led the effort to determine cost avoidance alongside Scott Hansen, Paul Brundage, and members of Tobyhanna’s Internal Review and Audit Compliance Office.
Umbaugh said the effort likely saved over $20M more than the $42M reported, but Tobyhanna adhered to strict standards of proof to determine cost avoidance.
Umbaugh lauded the comprehensive cost savings initiative, in particular the meticulous documentation maintained by Jarick and his team.
“This was a great effort by Jim Jarick and his team. We worked hand in hand to solve problems and provide lifesaving support,” said Umbaugh. “This type of project is the exact reason the Organic Industrial Base exists. The Organic Industrial Base can take on these types of challenges.”
Value engineering projects like this one directly align with Tobyhanna's long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035 - specifically the C5ISR Readiness and Shape the Future lines of effort. The goal of Tobyhanna Army Depot’s plan is to strive to position Tobyhanna for success in the coming years as the Department of War's premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.
Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is designated as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR), electronics, avionics, and missile guidance and control. TYAD provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support through depot-level repair, systems integration, software and cyber engineering, and field support. A key enabler of operational readiness for Joint and Allied Forces globally, TYAD leverages new and emerging technologies to further expand the Department of War’s organic capabilities for microelectronics, secure communications infrastructure, unmanned aerial systems, Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), and the Army’s Next Generation Combat Systems (NGC2). TYAD’s ability to rapidly surge production, deploy field support teams, and scale for contingency or theater-level operations makes it a vital contributor to strategic readiness and operational reach.