Airbus SmartForce Taps Data Analytics for Military Maintenance

Airbus is looking to apply its civil aircraft market experience in tapping the power of advanced data analytics to the military sector with the launch this week of its new SmartForce suite. The new product is intended to allow military operators to exploit the data gathered by their aircraft to improve operational safety, boost mission availability, and reduce maintenance support costs. A primary benefit is expected to be to allow operators to improve their ability to troubleshoot equipment, optimize maintenance, predict maintenance needs and manage demand for support materials.

SmartForce incorporates on-site private data clouds to support specific military security needs, while at the same time allowing operational data-sharing between allies. This is intended to improve maintenance decision-making and boost fleet flexibility.

The system has been jointly developed by Airbus Defence and Space and Airbus Helicopters. It can allow operators to tap into extensive operational and performance data for a variety of aircraft such as the NH90 helicopter, the A400M military transport, and the A330 MRTT aerial-refueling platform.

“By breaking information silos, Airbus teams can more rapidly perform root-cause analysis and faster troubleshooting, providing our customers with more efficient customer support,” said Stephan Miegel, head of military aircraft services at Airbus Defence and Space.