Imagine a new paint that isn’t a carcinogenic hazard for the painters, is environmentally friendly, and reduces painting time. Air Force Materiel Command and friends at the University of Missouri-Rolla, Boeing, and Deft Industrial Finishes have concocted just such a material to replace the one currently used to strip and paint F-15 fighters. And, the new non-chromate materials perform as well as the old chromate primers, say AFMC officials. AFMC expects to complete full conversion to the new primer through the six-year Program Depot Maintenance cycle, with 36 Eagles already painted since September 2005.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
