Tank engine overhaul.

• Author: Foote, William
• Position: LETTERS - Letter to the editor

In reference to the article, "Overhaul Underway for Abrams Tank Engine, " (September 2006, page 38), characterizing the AGT1500 turbine engine as "heavy duty" is inaccurate. Heavy duty hosing would be closer to the mark.

Without a doubt, the engine maintenance program for the AGT1500 is important. However, if the reasons stated are how the TIGER program is justified, then the whole program is deeply flawed. You note the mean time between overhaul is specified at 2,000 hours, but it's only making 700 hours. This calls for an investigation as to why the engine isn't being properly refitted. You say that in the TIGER program, it is difficult to quantify ultimate savings. Then Honeywell gets brought in to save the day. Honeywell's Mason mentions that there is "no silver bullet out there" which is another euphemism for "we're not sure how we're going to make any improvement." Still, the Army signed a four-year 1,000 engine per year contract with Honeywell to fix problems that neither will admit any clue as to a resolution.

The Army's Flanagan simply surrenders to Honeywell with the extremely weak contention that the Army is "trying to dictate obsolete solutions." This is weird, since the initial design and resulting thermodynamics of that design determine the power output of this engine, all completely calculated in the late 1970s. If the Army walks away from process management just because they are...