The affected AN/URN-32 and AN/URN-33 systems provide aviators with direction and distance information during night operations, poor weather and other demanding conditions. The amplifier shortfall arose amid supply chain disruption and the integration of production lines at key suppliers, according to the Navy.
To cover immediate requirements at sea, Navy engineers moved Series 1 amplifiers from land-based sites to operational ships. New ships under construction received the more recent Series 2 configuration, while Thales added test benches and specialist staff to speed repairs.
Engineers also updated software to bring the two hardware generations’ user interfaces into alignment and reduce long-term data requirements. The work was coordinated through a performance-to-plan framework involving the Navy programme office, Naval Supply Systems Command and the U.S. Coast Guard.
“By moving away from traditional contracting to a rigorous P2P framework, we turned transparent data into decisive action,” said Captain Walter B. Massenburg Jr., the Navy programme manager. “Thales worked directly with the government to address structural production and repair challenges, resolving hurdles and accelerating deliveries to our fleet and interagency partners.”
“Our partnership is built on a shared commitment to warfighter readiness,” said Thales vice president Sonu Goel. “By resolving supply chain challenges, investing in dedicated production capacity and aligning our software and hardware, we are strengthening the resilience of the TACAN system to support the fleet and joint partners.”
The Navy said production lead times have returned to normal and the maintenance backlog has been cleared. It described the joint approach as a model for managing production and sustainment problems during changes in the defense supply base.
