TORQUEHAVE YOUR SAY

We hope you have enjoyed the fifth edition of ALC TORQUE.

If you have any feedback aboutthe service ALC provides orsuggestions for future articles for our next newsletter, or wouldlike further information onanything featured, please email:Sam.Flint@ALCVehicles.mod.uk.

JSP 818 online reference:http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil.uk/DefenceIntranet/Library/CivilianAndJointService/BrowseDocumentCategories/SupportServices/IndustrialServices/PlantHire/Jsp818.htm

ALC Helpdesk Military:94240 5205Civilian:+44 (0) 1869 259205

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Issue Five I 2009

20

C Vehicle Capability ServiceFeedback Survey ResultsC Vehicle Capability ServiceFeedback Survey Results

ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

Torque was printed on 100% recycled paper

C VEHICLE CAPABILITY UPDATECMC UNDER NEW MANAGEMENTDRIVE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTURGENT OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTSENHANCED LIFT CAPABILITYCHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT2009 ERRP DELIVERIESDRILLSHELP US TO HELP YOUWHAT’S NEXT?

C VEHICLE CAPABILITY UPDATECMC UNDER NEW MANAGEMENTDRIVE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTURGENT OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTSENHANCED LIFT CAPABILITYCHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT2009 ERRP DELIVERIESDRILLSHELP US TO HELP YOUWHAT’S NEXT?

70%

26%

Early concerns overcommercialising such anextensive range of equipmentand its’ support services hasproved to be unfounded andthere is general acceptancethat capability has beenenhanced for lower cost.

The key to the contract’s success has beenthe positive approach by all involved, bothmilitary and commercial, to work togetherto optimise the capability. This has beenseen through the rapid development andintroduction of new equipment and also inthe positive day to day interfacesrequired to deliver and maintain plantand equipment so that operationalactivity, training and other tasks canconfidently be completed.

Who says so? The 119 responses to theService Feedback Survey said so.

The 2009 Service Feedback Survey wassponsored by Brigadier Paul Jaques, theDirector of Equipment Capability forExpeditionary Logistics & Support (DECELS), and sent to a wide range of militarypersonnel involved in the command, useand support of the C Vehicle Capability.

A 47% response rate wasachieved which is very high for asurvey such as this and theoverall perception of the CVehicle Capability service was96% positive. This is a greatachievement by everybodyinvolved and further details ofthe survey and what actions areproposed to drive furtherimprovements in the service arepublished on pages 8-13 of thisedition of Torque.

The Service Feedback Survey is a veryimportant tool in assessing the generalperformance of the service and helpsfocus attention on areas for improvement.

It is however the unsolicited letters ofthanks and praise that have been receivedover the year that really send a warm glowthrough the team as these let everyoneknow they are making a difference to ourcustomers, particularly those onoperations.

One of the biggest questions oneverybody’s mind these days iswhat will be the impact of therecession in the global economyand how long will it last?

Whilst not totally immune from therecession, the C Vehicle Capability PFI hassignificant protections built in which havesuccessfully mitigated its’ impact to date.One of the main crunch points in such arecession is cash availability and being aPFI, significant levels of funding arerequired, particularly to buy the newequipment. Prior to the crisis, ALC hadentered into a Facilities Agreement with asyndicate of banks for them to provide thenecessary £110m of funding and whilst allthat sum is not yet needed, it has all been

drawn down and held as cash reserves.This has ensured all the funds are availableto buy the new equipment as programmedand it is not impacted by the global downturn or savings in the EquipmentProgramme.

One area where the global financial crisishas had an impact on ALC is the significantfall in the value of Sterling against the Euroand Dollar. The loss of manufacturingcapability within the UK has resulted inmuch of the replacement equipment beingbuilt abroad so the deteriorating exchangerates are not good news for ALC. It ishowever an example of a benefit of the PFIto the MOD, as exchange rate risk wastransferred to ALC so the plummeting rateshave not cost the MOD anything, yet theoriginal level of equipment specificationmust still be met by ALC.

On a more positive front, the Equipment Replacement andRefurbishment Programme(ERRP) has really been motoringalong with £60m alreadycommitted, and by the end of lastyear, 700 new pieces of plant andequipment had been deliveredinto service, covering 25equipment lines.

The benefits of the ERRP are not limited tojust replacing old equipment with new, butsignificant benefits in reducing supportcosts such as training, technicalpublications and spares management havealso been achieved by the rationalisation ofequipment types and the current reductionof manufacturers from 25 to 16. Thebiggest new fleet to be fielded in 2009 willbe the 59 – Medium (Terex AC 35) and 6Heavy (Terex AC 55) cranes. Initial deliveriesof both cranes have already been receivedand training is well underway. By the end of 2009, over half the replacement fleetrequired under the C Vehicle Capabilitycontract, in excess of 1,000 pieces ofequipment, will have been purchased. This is a phenomenal achievement by allinvolved and there is still a lot more tocome.

This edition of Torque has interestingarticles on how some of the new equipmentis influencing capability, like the multipleways lift can now be achieved and howdrilling capability has been enhancedthrough equipment selection. An excitingprospect of the ERRP is that it is anopportunity for change, for breaking with

traditional ways of doing things if moreappropriate solutions can be found. Not all change is immediately welcome asoften the benefits are not initially realised.During the Service Feedback Survey therewas an opportunity to comment on thebenefits or disadvantages of the newequipment. One perceived disadvantagewas that the new Medium Crawler Tractorhas a narrower blade than its’ predecessor,which now requires an additional pass ofthe equipment to dig pits. This is true, butthe advantages of the smaller machine is itis much lighter and faster, making it mucheasier to transport and hence deploy whichis the nature of modern warfare. So oneperson’s loss is another’s gain but just tomake sure there is a win for everyone, thenew machine has air-conditioning!

Not all the effort in introducing newequipment was in the ERRP as UrgentOperational Requirements (UOR’s) arosefrom Operations in Afghanistan. The MOD’sCapability Management Cell (CMC) in AbbeyWood had been asked to provide someprotected plant to allow engineeringoperations to take place in hostile areas. At the start of the C Vehicle Contract, theMOD disbanded its’ Engineer Vehicles &Plant Integrated Project Team (EVP IPT) whohad previously procured and brought intoservice new equipment. Without the EVP IPTthe CMC had a challenge to deliver the UORand it turned to ALC to use its’ professionalservices to provide the project managementand its’ supply chain to deliver theIntegrated Logistic Support (ILS) packagesrequired. The combined team of CMC andALC successfully delivered the equipment inrecord time.

So far so good, but what next forthe C Vehicle Capability contract?

Well one thing is for sure - the only constantin life is change. Operations in Afghanistanwill change as the campaign strategyreplaces the expeditionary one and theTaliban continues to adapt its’ tactics. TheERRP will develop to meet these changingrequirements and new equipment willenhance capability while simultaneouslyreducing logistic burden. Hopefully theRoyal Navy and Royal Air Force will continueto progress their deliberations to fully jointhe contract so the benefits of a truly Tri-Service fleet can be realised. Whatevercomes next, we know that the challenge for all of us will be to continue to deliver anexemplary service and find ways we cancollectively optimise capability.

3ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

C VehicleCapability Update

The C Vehicle Capability contract has completed 3 years of full service and is now an established element within the overall military structure.

ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 20092

• Multi Terrain Loader - ProtectedCaterpillar 257B

• Medium Wheeled Tractor-Protected Caterpillar 938G

• Light Wheeled Tractor -Protected Caterpillar 434E

The first equipment was delivered to theMOD, with a complete Integrated LogisticSolution (ILS) just over 4 months after thecontract with the equipment manufacturerFinning was signed and the last equipmentjust over 9 months later. What makesdelivering these equipments in such ashort timeframe such a remarkableachievement is that two of the threeequipment lines, the 938G and the 434E,required a significant redesign in order toprovide the required levels of blast andballistic protection.

The equipment has received largelypositive reviews in theatre. The mostsignificant benefit is (obviously) theprotection system which is enabling tasksto be undertaken that otherwise mighthave been discounted due to theunacceptable risks they posed to theoperator. Further major benefits includean extended dig facility on the backhoe ofthe 434E which greatly reduces the timetaken to dig trenches and a range ofancillaries for the 257B multi-terrain loader(backhoe, bucket, auger, hammer andforks) provided on a robust air portablecarriage pack.

Despite the achievements to date, there isalways room for improvementand the requirement hasalready moved on. To providethe levels of protectionrequired, the 434E hasincreased in weight significantlyand no amount of engineering‘slim-fast’ has been able to get itback on the in-service plant trailer.Its’ increased weight and the reduceduse of heavy trailers in theatre has meantthat the 434E and the 938G have beenrequired to self deploy significant

distances. Travelling such distances (insome cases more than 100km) would be achallenge for most commercially availableplant of this type and is a requirementwhich was not envisaged when the systemrequirement was defined.

Within the next 12 months, workingtogether with the CMC and ALC, IVECO andFinning and their protection providersexpect to improve the capability offered byprotected plant further. The improvementscurrently being developed are:

a) The addition of a protected Self LoadingDump Truck capability from IVECO whichmatches or exceeds the level of crewprotection provided by the above plant;

b) Increased traction on the 938G via aredesign / replacement of the tyres whichdespite easily conquering and surpassingthe medium mobility requirement, havebeen the victim of ‘unique’ soil conditionsin theatre;

c) Further enhancements to the protectionsystems of the 434E and 938G; and

d) The addition of infra-red lamps as astandard fit on all protected plantequipment.

For just over a year, ALC, Finning and the MOD C Vehicle PFI CapabilityManagement Cell (CMC) have been working together to deliver anambitious programme of Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)protected plant projects that comprised of three equipment types:

To consistently deliver continuousimprovement over the 15 year term of theC Vehicle Capability contract is a constantchallenge for everyone as the initial burstof enthusiasm for this new project could

dwindle as the service delivery becomesmore steady state. The introduction of newequipment types over the first seven yearshelps to keep the C Vehicle contractexciting as this in itself delivers continuousimprovement in equipment capability. Toachieve the same in service delivery is notso easy yet the results of the 2009 ServiceFeedback Survey demonstrate it has beenachieved.

From the outset, ALC made a commitmentto the MOD to provide a consistent andconstantly improving service that deliverscustomer satisfaction by adoptinginternational and national standards ofexcellence.

• Quality Management (BS EN ISO9001)• Environmental Management (BS EN

ISO14001)• Health and Safety (BS OHAS 18001)

Within three years of making thiscommitment, ALC has achieved BSIcertification in all three areas, a fantasticeffort for such a young company. Theachievement of these BSI standards isnotable but should only be seen in thecontext of being the foundation stonesupon which ALC will continuously improve.There is no room for complacency andeach colleague within the organisationmust constantly look at ways to improveservice delivery and in as safe and greenway as it can.

Following on from Co Location to

DE&S Abbey Wood from Andover in

2008, from April 1st 2009 the C

Vehicle CMC moves from General

Support Vehicles Integrated Project

Team (GSV IPT) and becomes part of

the newly formed General Support

Group under Mr Tony Ashton

General Support Group Team

Leader.

The CMC becomes part of the ServiceProvision Project Team within GeneralSupport Group which along with the C Vehicle PFI, deals with other DefencePFI’s such as the UK White Fleet and theTri Service Mechanical Handling Service(yellow Fleet) contracts. The Serviceprovision team also has responsibility forProject Mercury (UK White Fleetreplacement) and Defence MechanicalHandling Equipment (DMHS replacement).

The changes are part of a wider strategywithin the Land Equipment Teams to makeDE&S more agile and efficient in theprovision of present and future Capability.

The CMC is now lead by Mr Paul Baileywhose team continues to be the interfacebetween the MoD customer and ALC, theService Provider.

Working jointly as a team to provide the C Vehicle Capability we are currentlyinvolved in the provision and fielding ofUrgent Operational Requirements (UOR’s)for Protected Plant on OP Herrick withadditional project management assistancefrom ALC. Future developments within theproject this coming year are the potentialfor bringing the RAF and Royal Navy intothe PFI making it the true Tri ServiceContract it was originally intended to be.This initiative should bring overall savingsto Defence through common fleet andspares supportability across the threeServices where possible.

One of the biggest issues for the JointTeam to manage is the effective financialmanagement of the project, ensuring itcontinues to deliver value for money andprovides the best Defence Capabilitypossible within the financial limits of theProject. To assist in this process, the CMCand ALC are working on the “Help us toHelp You” initiative. The team are available

to give briefings to users of the service topromote greater understanding of how toget the best from the service whilstproviding the CMC and ALC with theinformation they require from the user toOptimise the Capability and run the PFIwithin budget.

ALC, having successfully worked with theCMC in delivering C Vehicle Capability, arealso working with Manoeuvre Support IPTto provide project management and sparessupport on the JCB High Mobility EngineerEquipment, part of a UOR for Op Herrick.This clearly demonstrates the high regardand success the partnership has achievedin delivering C Vehicle Capability. Thisarrangement follows the Integrated LogisticSupport procedures that have proventhemselves within the PFI.

Questions or requests for briefingsregarding the C Vehicle PFI contractshould be addressed to the ProjectManager of C Vehicle CMC Paul Bailey on 9352 38183 Military 0117 9138183Civilian or paul.bailey154@mod.uk.

Drive for Continuous Improvement

Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR’s)Capability Management Cell (CMC) UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT!

4 ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

CAT 938G (P)

CAT 257B (P)

CAT 434E (P)

ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009 5

6 ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009 7

The Enhanced Lift Capability Programme isbeing delivered in 3 phases. Phase 1 wascompleted in 2008 through theintroduction of the RTFL 2400kg and RTFL4000kg Telehandlers. In addition toreplacing the simple lift capabilitiesprovided by the old JCB 410 and Volvo4400 fleets the new equipment have 4mand 7m telescopic booms whichsignificantly increases the range of dutiesthey can perform.

The second phase is now underway with 2 projects delivering a versatile lift solutionup to 50 tonnes. The first project delivers59 X Terex AC30 4x4 All Terrain 30 TonneCranes, which were certified at thebeginning of June. The equipment comeswith Mercedes engines, ZF automatictransmissions, 30.4 metre 4 stage booms,3 steering modes and a full ASLI(Automatic Safe Load Indicator) which alsohas an integrated blackout & convoysolution so that the equipment can beoperated safely when deployed.

The second project consists of 6 TerexAC50 6x6 All Terrain cranes with a 32.3metre four stage boom and all the militaryenhancements of AC30. The crane’s midrange lifting capability has also beenimproved in order for it to meet therequirement to lift the future MK5 ArmyBoat.

Both cranes have been manufactured atthe Terex PPM site in Montceau Les Minesin France. The cranes are based on acommercial chassis and superstructure(operators cab and boom) with the impactof military specific customisation beingintegrated, where possible, as an overlayon the commercial platform in order not toaffect or reduce the reliability of what arewell proven and reliable systems and subsystems.

This approach allows the vehicles to bemanufactured without the need for abespoke production line which significantlyreduces lead times, improves quality, andenhances the build standard commonalitybetween both cranes. The approach ofdeveloping platforms utilising commercialoff the shelf (COTS) vehicles, greatlyimproves the sustainability and supportsolution, as parts and support are easilyaccessible and available in the worldwidesupply chain.

Both the Crane Medium and Crane Heavycome with air conditioned drivers’ cabsand are fully certified with a fully IntegratedLogistic Support Solution.

The third phase will deliver 33 highlymobile Truck Mounted Loaders (TML)based on the IVECO 6x6 Trakker chassis.The vehicle will have a rear mountedTLC240 2E/A2 Terex Atlas 6 tonne loadingarm. The arm can be operated by radioremote control allowing the operator tostand next to the load ensuring pin pointaccuracy and control can be maintainedthroughout any lifting operation.

The versatility of the TML will mean it canbe utilised to independently lift and carry a variety of loads on the flat bed includinga 20ft ISO container (empty) or an RTFL2400kg.

Again this vehicle will have allthe required militarycustomisation as the cranesincluding a system whichallows the loader arm to beused in blackout conditions,NATO tow hooks and electricsincluding ABS for trailers.

Fielding new equipment is only part of thesolution to enhance capability, to make it a reality requires a review of the ways inwhich it can be deployed. For example,forklifts are no longer the reserve oflogisticians or resource teams but now astelehandlers they can be used as part of a construction process by plant operators.Once the wider utilisation of this newequipment is understood, the concept ofuse can be developed and trainingadapted to truly optimise lift capability.

Enhanced Lift Capability ProgrammeThe drive to optimise capability while simultaneously being faced byever restricting budgets presents a constant challenge to both the MODand ALC and makes it essential for them to find innovative solutionswithin the Equipment Replacement and Refurbishment Programme(ERRP) to achieve this goal. The most radical development to date hasbeen the Enhanced Lift Capability Programme that was initiated pre-contract to find an affordable way to increase Lift Capability and reduceequipment and supportability costs. This has been achieved throughthe planned introduction of a diverse range of equipment that provideslift through various means and will deliver greater capability throughincreased flexibility.

Truck Mounted Loader (TML)

Crane 35T

Crane 55T

Change is the only constant

It took nine months for the MOD and ALCto devise a solution that reflected thechanges to operational policies andpractices which drove the contract change.This may seem a long time to resolve acommercial issue but it was the challengeof finding a cost neutral solution in whichthe intricacies of the services andequipment specifications had to be tradedin such a way as to never disadvantageoverall capability or adversely impact theend users.

The need for 17 individual changes hadbeen identified through the Requests forInformation (RFI’s) process over the last 3years but if dealt with individually as theyarose, there would have been costimplications. Collecting them into a singlecontract change prevented this, yet it didnot delay the implementation of thechanges as they were already beingaccounted for in the EquipmentReplacement and RefurbishmentProgramme (ERRP). Whilst programmingchanges before the contract is formallychanged have their risks, the exemplaryrelationship between MOD and ALCprevented this from being an issue.

Examples of some of the changes arebuying more Medium Dump Trucks (MDT)later this year; increasing the number ofLight Wheeled Tractor (LWT) rockbreakers; and buying moretowed rollers.

These were partly funded by not buyingreplacements for Frame Steer DumpTrucks (FSDT); the Unimog Snow Tractors;or the Remote Controlled systems forTelehandlers 1814kg.

In implementing contractchange, the C Vehicle PFI hasdemonstrated its’ inherent abilityto adapt itself to meet thedemands of the changingrequirements placed on it, yetmaintaining its’ value for moneyfocus in these financiallychallenging times.

One of the greatest challenges for the MOD in entering a 15 yearcontract, is to ensure that the rapidly changing requirements of modernwarfare and newly emerging technologies can be catered for within theterms of the contract without exposing it to undue risk. It is amazing tosee that the C Vehicle Capability contract that was signed in May 2005had run so long without a contract change. This is a testimony to thosewho crafted the contract in the first place that it is sufficiently bindingto deliver the equipment and services the MOD needed, yet adaptableenough in its’ interpretation to allow the necessary degrees of flexibilityto meet changes in those needs. Eventually however, the scale of thenecessary changes made a revision in the contract inevitable.

ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

8 9ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

I am pleased to enclose the results of the 2009 Service FeedbackSurvey produced jointly by the Service Provision Project Team’sCapability Management Cell and the service provider, ALC. I am grateful to the 47% of the ‘key’ users of the C VehicleCapability who completed the survey as this percentage ensuresthe results are viable.

Overall the message we are getting is positive: the C Vehicle PFI isdelivering what the user wants with no significant shortfalls -especially on operations. It does remain vital that we continue tounderstand where we can improve efficiency and get the most ‘bangfor our buck’ out of the contract. The key to all of this is yourfeedback on performance and helping us to understand where thingscould be changed for the better.

Brigadier P W Jaques

IntroductionTo enable us to measure, improve and develop service standards and capability, a survey was carried out on all aspects of the C Vehicle Capabilityservice delivery in the first quarter of 2009.

A total of 254 questionnaires were sent out to customers with responsibility for equipment, maintenance and logistic support; as well as directusers of the C Vehicle service. 119 customers responded from as far afield as BATUS, Belize, Brunei, Falklands, Kenya, Nepal and Cyprus. This exceptionally high response rate of 47% has given us a unique insight into our customers’ views about service standards and progress. Most importantly it has helped us focus on areas that need improvement and we will be addressing these.

We asked a range of questions to assess the overall perception of the service and our independent survey organisation, ORC International,assessed these to give a 96% positive satisfaction level. Of particular note were the very positive responses to the levels of contact andcommunications with the CMC and ALC, and generally the good condition and availability of equipment.

Those customers who requested a follow up contact are currently being met and these meetings are anticipated to be complete by the end of the2nd Quarter of 2009. Continuous improvement in service can only occur if we work together and communicating good ideas or best practice atany time, not just at the biennial surveys, will help guarantee that we will continue towards our goal of Optimising Capability.

The response to the Service Feedback Survey was very positive inregard to the overall C Vehicle Capability service and it is encouragingto see that year on year it is improving. This is largely thanks to thequality of feedback from the previous survey giving us guidance towhere improvements were needed. The Summary of Results chartbelow shows the excellent responses received and shows theimprovements achieved.

Summary of ResultsWith such high satisfaction scores there would be little to gain byfocusing on the positive results achieved so this report concentrateson responding to the key adverse comments made in the survey. Inthis way we can identify the lessons learnt and communicate whataction will be taken to rectify issues. Not all the adverse commentswill instigate a change as some reflect a personal or local desirerather than an overall capability shortfall. These will however also beresponded to in order to raise the overall understanding of the CVehicle Capability service.

The key areas this report focuses on are:

• Service Support - consisting of CMC, CSC helpdesk and regional offices

• Maintenance Support - consisting of maintenance, repair and spares

• Capability Issues - consisting of hired-in equipment and service quality

• New Equipment

2009 Service Feedback Survey

CMC – 98% Positive ScoreMost responses rated the CMC as good or excellent with an overallpositive score of 98% with its’ strengths being recognised in its’efficiency and courtesy in resolving queries. Areas for improvementwere identified in the ease of demanding equipment, generalcommunications, including improving the fax facility, and speed ofresponse.

Since January 2008 the CMC has moved from Andover to Abbey Woodand moved between 4 IPTs – ESS, SUV, GSV and now Service SupportProject Team. All these changes put tremendous strain on the team aspersonnel changed as well as office location and command structure.The MOD policy decision to focus solely on JAMES as its’ fleetmanagement system and withdraw of access to the ALC ManagementInformation System (MIS) did not help the CMC and this unexpectedlyoverloaded its’ fax capacity. To achieve such high satisfaction scores isnothing short of a miracle and is a tribute to the professionalism of theteam. The necessary improvements in service will come throughstability and a little more funding would help them meet the levels ofequipment demand.

CSC Helpdesk – 98% Positive ScoreThe survey commended the CSC Helpdesk for its’ year on yearimprovements with the excellent & good scores improving by 16% sincethe Initial Service Survey in 2006. 51% of the responders hadcontacted the Helpdesk and they reported the positive attitude andcourtesy of the ALC Customer Service Representatives being the keystrength. Concerns were raised over the ease of contact out of hours,some lack of technical knowledge and occasional inability to resolveproblems quickly, particularly when this involves communication withthe MOD Supply Chain.

ALC already provides a 24/7 365 day service including an out of hoursservice through an on call system and on average there are less than 10out of hours calls a week, including weekends, a constantly manneddesk is very hard to justify. Whilst we understand that contacting theduty manager out of hours can seem a bit long winded, going through

the options and messages on any helpdesk is never enjoyable, it is anecessary gate keeper that ensures we only get called out when reallyneeded.

The purpose of the Helpdesk is to connect a caller to the best personwithin ALC to resolve their issues and do so in a controlled way ensuringall calls are logged and eventually closed out. That said, the CustomerService Representatives are answering approximately 80% of the callsthemselves. With over 150 equipment types and all the other servicerelated questions, it would be impossible for the Customer ServiceRepresentatives to be fully up to speed on everything. Therefore, ifspecialist technical assistance is needed, then the Helpdesk will ensurethat the right subject matter expert speaks to you, and then they willcheck the call is closed out. However, the concern is recognised andlevels of technical training for ALC Customer Service Representativeshas been increased.

With regard to communications with the MOD Supply Chain, we talkmany times a day with the MOD Helpdesk in SCOC (DSDA) who in turnliaise with the Purple Gate, MOD supply chain and end user. In addition,we deliver to the Purple Gate almost hourly throughout the day and alsothrough the night for SPC 01 demands. We have assessed theeffectiveness of the communication between ALC and the MOD SupplyChain and there does not seem to be an issue that can be resolved bythis project, but we will continue to monitor it.

Regional Offices – 100% Positive ScoreThe survey responses said that the Regional Offices have continued todeliver an exemplary service through their positive attitudes,helpfulness, technical knowledge and courtesy. Whilst no specificconcerns were expressed, some areas where improvements could bemade were suggested, these were mainly about communications withoverseas units and the impact of different time zones.

87% of responders had met their local ALC Regional Manager in the last12 months but there were a few requests for more visits to Units,especially overseas. In 2009, ALC has planned a series of visits to manyunits, locations and regiments, including those that are just about todeploy and those recently returned from operations. If you are one ofthose units and would like a visit from ALC to either have a refresher onwhat ALC can do to help whilst you are on deployment; or have recentlyreturned and would like to brief us on your experiences of the C VehiclePFI, whilst in Theatre, then please contact either your local RegionalManager or the ALC Helpdesk to arrange a meeting.

There are no restrictions on visits and ALC tries to visit all of the majorCAT 2 locations at least once a year. However, this often relies on theagreement and assistance of the MOD. For 2009 we will be visitingFalklands, BATUS, Kenya & Belize. We also have a dedicated OverseasManager and an Overseas Controller who are always available to offeradvice and assist with any problems.

With regards to the requests to open an ALC office in BATUS andAfghanistan, we unfortunately will not be opening an office in Canadadue to the limitations of the agreement with the CanadianGovernment but we are in discussions with the CMC over theintroduction of Contractor On Deployed Operations (CONDO), whichwould allow us to open an office in Afghanistan.

Very Poor Poor Satisfied Good Excellent

54%

42%

2%

2%

70%

26%

4%

18%

42%

38% 2%

Service Support

Overall Service

2006 2009

97

1009898

93

98979896

100

78

Spares

CMCCSC

DeliveryRepairs

RegionalOffices

100

Summary of Results

Brigadier Paul W JaquesHead of Expeditionary Logistics & Support CapabiityLevel 2, Zone 1, Ministry of Defence, Main Building,Whitehall, London SW1A 2HBTelephone: (020) 7218 3586Facsimile: (020) 7218 4566Mobile: 0791 7212172Email: Paul.jaques388@mod.uk

Maintenance and Repairs – 100% Positive ScoreGenerally the responses to the ALC maintenance and repair servicewere very positive and there were only a few observations andsuggestions for service improvement. One slight criticism was somelack of technical ability of ALC Customer Service Engineers, also poorcommunication and planning over maintenance had been an issue.

ALC does have many subject matter experts covering all the equipmentbut not every engineer is an expert on every type of equipment. Allengineers go through regular training both specific to equipment andongoing engineering principals, such as hydraulics and electrics, andwhen something really difficult arises we have the ability to call on themanufacturer for support. Developing the technical ability of anyengineer, whether ALC or MOD, is a fundamental necessity in theoptimisation of capability and that is why ALC provide AssistedMaintenance to help share best practice, improve knowledge andprevent skill fade. One comment was that Assisted Maintenance shouldinclude the Operator; we agree and see no reason why it shouldn't - justask.

The planning of maintenance activity is essential to reduce disruption ofequipment downtime and to maximise the efficiency of the maintainers.As the ALC policy is Condition Based Maintenance as opposed to TimeSchedule Maintenance, the ALC Fleet Management System is used togive future projections of services and tasks, based upon historicalinformation and data as available. Currently we are suffering from asignificant lack of data from Units to allow the planning to take placeand this is making maintenance planning and communicating its’programme difficult. The issue is noted and all Regional Managers havebeen asked for their proposal to improve communication on this.

Spares – 97% Positive ScoreTimely spares provision is one of the greatest challenges the C VehicleCapability Service faces and it is good to see that the survey hasrevealed a 19% improvement in this aspect of the service since theInitial Survey in 2006. The main frustration commented on the poorspeed of delivery which was recognised to be a product of themandatory use of SS3 and the MOD Supply Chain, which is outside theremit of this service. Also commented upon were out of date AESP’s,stock holdings and spares cost.

ALC has some exacting response times placed upon it by the contractincluding SPC01 demands that must be delivered into the Supply Chainwithin 2hrs. At DSDA Bicester, we hold several million items coveringthe huge range of equipment within the C Vehicle Service but despitethis, there is still sometimes considerable delay in obtaining therequired spare. It is surprising to note that 3 years into the service, firsttime demands are still running at over 10%. The biggest difficulties lienaturally with the oldest equipment and its’ replacement under theERRP is certainly improving performance, together with our continuedclose monitoring of this element of the service.

Maintaining the accuracy of AESP’s is a full time activity and relies onthe Form 10 process to drive any amendments, if an error is foundplease complete these. Amendments may not be made during periodsof obsolescence, unless an item is deemed to be of a Serious Safetyrelated issue.

The amount of stock held in Units or in locations such as BATUS, isentirely at MOD discretion. ALC does not control nor limit what isordered, either for use or stock. All that is required is that as it is used,it is recorded, as per JSP 818.

A comment regarding spares being expensive is correct and ALC isalways pressurising its supply chain for price reductions as all the costof spares recorded as fitted to equipment, other than negligent and wardamage, is at ALC’s cost.

10 ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009 11ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

47%

51% 2%

50%

25%

22%

3%

Hired-in equipment – Suitability 91% Positive ScoreFamiliarisation Process 94% Positive ScoreOf the users responding to the survey, 29% had been supplied withnon-military specific equipment and in general the opportunity to usestandard commercial equipment to help broaden operating skills wasappreciated. A number of areas of concern were noted covering thesuitability and quality of the equipment provided to do the task andlack of CES. Also, there was a comment about a poor familiarisationprocess.

Wherever possible when providing hired-in equipment, it is matchedto the required equipment demanded and the familiarisation processis based on a risk analysis of any differences between the two. ALChas been caught out by suppliers not delivering what was orderedand occasionally by equipment in poor condition. These were broughtto ALC’s attention at the time and resulted in a number of hirecompanies being removed from the list of approved hirers.Subsequently, ALC has undertaken a rigorous audit and givenbriefings to its’ hire chain to improve their appreciation of the servicerequired. The audits will continue on a regular basis and defaultingcompanies will either improve their service or no longer be used.

There is an option to only receive militarised equipment and not havehired-in, this just needs to be stated on the Demand Notice. Also,hired-in equipment doesn’t come with CES as it is primarily providedto allow up level 1 maintenance tasks, but on a hired-in piece of kitonly daily operator checks are required and for anything else ALCshould be called in.

The familiarisation process is designed to provide an operator who iscompetent and current on the in service type with sufficientinformation to operate the hired-in equipment safely, it is not trainingbut familiarisation. Safety is the key word and if insufficientfamiliarisation has been provided, contact the ALC Helpdesk andmore will be provided.

Service Quality -Delivery & Collection 98% Positive ScoreTrain the Trainer 84% Positive ScoreFeedback on general service quality was positive as users indicatedtheir needs are being met. Areas where improvements could bemade were identified in the condition of equipment andcompleteness of CES at handover as well as the quantum ofpaperwork required to manage the process. Also identified wereissues over training and technical documentation.There is no excuse for equipment and CES not being right at

handover and an internal audit carried out by ALC supported thesurvey findings as a number of errors were identified. In addition toreinforcing with the regional teams the importance of getting it rightfirst time, a process of regular inspections by ALC’s Audit Engineershas been implemented. If any handover issues do occur pleasecontact the Helpdesk within 24 hrs so that they can quickly beattended to and, just as importantly, be recorded as a failure of anALC KPI.

Demand paperwork is a requirement of the contract required by theMOD to provide the evidence that ALC is meeting its’ obligations andas such the CMC do not wish to change this process. In many otherareas of delivery, electronic handheld devices are used and ALC arelooking at ways of introducing these to make the handover/handbackprocess more effective. The difficulty is DSSO restrictions on thesehandheld devises being connected to DII(F), however, ALC is indiscussion with them to develop a solution.

Train the trainer training on new equipment has been very difficult todeliver as often soldiers have not been available for the courses, or ifthey have received training, they have been posted prior to the arrivalof the new equipment so they have been unable to do the cascadetraining. This is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs, one which theCMC is very aware of and to help alleviate the problem, the CMC haveallocated resources to help communicate the programme andallocate training places. It is a Unit’s responsibility to ensure it hastrained operators so if for some reason a course is missed or thetrained soldiers’ posted, the CMC should be contacted for additionaltraining as there are many courses running often with spare capacity.

50%

10%

6%

3%

31%

61%

19% 3%

3%

14%

Suitability

Familiarisation Process

52%

39%

7%

2%

38%21%

11%

5%25%

Delivery & Collection

Train the Trainer Programme

Very Poor Poor Satisfied Good Excellent

Maintenance Support

Very Poor Poor Satisfied Good Excellent

Capability Issues

It is an excellentservice in my opinion“ ”

We have demandedequipments in the past fewyears for delivery to exerciselocations and found theservice to be first class.

“

”

Response to your comments

In this survey there was an opportunity to commenton the new equipment provided under theEquipment Replacement and RefurbishmentProgramme (ERRP) and to help everybodyappreciate why certain equipment was selected,sometimes with different capabilities to those itreplaces, this section of Torque highlights the mainpoints raised and response to them.

Selecting any equipment to do a wide range of tasks in many differentcircumstances is never going to please all the operators all the time,one size doesn’t fit all in the plant world. Often operators becomeused to the capabilities of the in-service equipment forgetting whatthe original key requirements were and when the new equipmentarrives with its’ specification focused on those requirements,understandably there can be some disappointment if certain featuresare not repeated. The ERRP has taken the opportunity to re-evaluatethose key requirements including equipment outputs and otherimportant features like impact on logistic burden and strategicmobility. Setting the requirement remains the responsibility of theAuthority and each requirement is confirmed before any procurementproject is started.

Whatever equipment is selected, it is always evaluated by the MODwho give input to the specification and attend, support and advise ondemonstrations, tie down schemes, Air Transportability Trials, trainingdevelopment and on the safety case. All equipment has to pass theUser Trials, conducted by the Training & Development Units, where itis evaluated against the key requirements and the BattlefieldMissions. So like or loath the new equipment it is what the MOD hasasked for, and often exceeds the requirements.

True the MOD does not have an endless pot of money so there arefinancial constraints. However, the C Vehicle Capability PFI issignificantly protected from the yearly round of defence budgetadjustments. In 2005 the MOD contracted with ALC to deliver theERRP and ALC has raised the necessary funds for it. Since then theMOD has not reduced the requirement, indeed it has augmented itthrough a number of contract changes.

With regard to the equipment itself, it is purchased on a Whole LifeCost Basis that considers the cost of procurement, in serviceoperational costs and finally the revenue generated by re-sale afterits’ military life. As in many areas of life, you get what you pay for andin this respect, the Whole Life Cost Basis drives us to select the bestequipment from the market leaders such as Caterpillar, JCB andVolvo.

So yes, there are financial constraints but no, the programme is nothampered by them.

Medium Motorised Grader (MMG) – Volvo G930

Selection of comments:

“It’s a reliable machine”“Up to date modern equipment”

“More efficient and simple to use”“Versatile”

“Build quality and performance”“Should have had it years ago”

Unfortunately nothing is idiot proof as seen by some recentlydamaged graders, but we do try!

Medium Crawler Tractor (MCT) – Caterpillar D5N

Selection of comments:

“Better equipment because of different technical system, most of them computerised”

”Does not match the capability of the equipment it replaced”

“Blade is not wide enough”“Too small requires to be bigger”

The Cat D5N is recognised as a first class piece of modern machinerythat is reliable and has fast cycle times. Some concern has beenexpressed that its’ capability does not match the equipment itreplaced, the Cat D6, particularly the reduced blade width.

The programme isobviously hampered byfinancial constraints

“”

12 ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009 13ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

The selection of the D5N is a good example of focusing on themilitary requirement rather than just replacing like for like with norecognition of the changing nature of modern warfare. During theUser Trials, the D5N passed all the output requirements and althoughits’ blade is narrower than its’ predecessors, its’ faster cycle timesensured the required amount of material was moved in the giventime. Where the D5N scored much better than its’ predecessors wasin Strategic Mobility as the thrust towards greater battlefield mobilityis supported by its’ reduced weight and width, allowing a wider rangeof in-service transport to move it and loading is quicker. And don’tforget the D5N comes with air-conditioning and finger tip controls inorder to reduce operator fatigue thus increasing daily output.

Crane Heavy (CH) - Terex AC55

Selection of comments:

“Modern design and ease of maintenance” “Cannot lift the AWB MK4 (latest boat)

at required radius”

The capabilities of the new Crane Medium (CM) cranes far exceedthose of their predecessors in both lift capability, mobility and at areduced maintenance burden. Replacing 5 existing types with 2 hashad a marked improvement on other areas such as training, technicaldocumentation and spares management. During the User Trials ofthe Crane Heavy (CH) AC55), the new boat did not form part of therequirement and as such the capability to lift it was not initiallyprovided. Now that the requirement has been recognised, Terex havedeveloped modifications, including software changes, to stretch theAC55 capability to accommodate this new requirement, a testamentto the design strength of the Terex cranes.

Rough Terrain Forklift (RTFL) - JCB 524-50

Selection of comments:

“Easy to use”“More versatile for general fork work about unit”

“Easy to transport, compact and meets the requirements ofour unit”

“As an artillery unit we have been impressed with the TFLRTthat was used during our exercise period”“Easy to get in and out of ISO containers”

“Cross country limited JCB 524”“As a beach operations unit we need vehicles that can wadeand the tyres are too aggressive the machine sinks into the

beach”“Not having a side-shift is at best annoying”

“On Herrick found the tyres on the JCB 524 to be insufficientdue to terrain and heat”

“All JCB’s are too high maintenance; parts are poor qualityand break easily”

“JCB 524 is not the right equipment for the army”

Love them or hate them most people have a strong opinion about thenew Telehandlers and as the largest new fleet with 424 equipments,they have the widest unit coverage of all. These machines werealways going to be the biggest challenge as they are a fundamentallydifferent concept from their predecessors which were mostlyconverted loaders like the JCB 410 and Volvo 4400. The chassisdesign of loaders gave the previous equipment an inherent roughterrain and cross country capability. The introduction of the JCB 525in 2003 however gave the military an insight into the reach-stackingcapabilities of the telehandler and its’ ability to easily stuff and de-stuff containers. The MOD therefore took the decision that thehandling characteristics of the Telehandler were key capabilities andthe new concept triumphed.

Not all the RTFL fleet will be Telehandlers as where special to rolerequirements, such as wading, converted loaders will still be used.So to the Unit using them on the beach and wading with them, pleaseDemand the Winterised / Waterproofed equipment instead, that’swhat they are for.

As part of the drive to increase the capability of the RTFL 1814kgfleet, a specialist side-shift was introduced to over half of the newones in order to facilitate the de-stuffing of containers. Theremainder of the fleet was provided at the standard commercialspecification as the additional weight of the side-shift carriagereduces maximum lift capability. As the original JCB 410 hadeffectively little side-shift capability, it was thought that just the use ofthe new crab-steer capability on the new Telehandlers would allow atrained operator to be effective and the introduction of the side-shifton 165 machines would be a bonus compared to the previous 37 JCB525 that did have it. If side-shift is necessary for a role then pleaseDemand one.

From the survey there were comments about high maintenance andpoor quality parts. This has not been borne out by any significantnumbers of Equipment Failure Reports (EFR’s) but may reflect thestatistical impact of 424 new equipments being rolled out in arelatively short period, particularly with so many going straight tooperations. The tyre wear issue on operations is currently beinginvestigated to identify the cause and suitable rectification. Therehave been some initial teething problems and assembly issues andas these were resolved it can be seen from the many positivecomments received during the survey, the new Telehandlers do liveup to the reputation JCB have achieved as being the market leadersin Telehandler design. As to the one statement that said theequipment was not the right equipment for the Army, well the surveydid not support that and you can’t please everyone.

New Equipment

Distributor Water Pressure 4.9 cu mTrailer MountedThis newly designed trailer mounted equipment isan excellent addition to the ALC fleet and provides4,900ltrs of water that can be used aroundconstruction sites to aid in compaction, dustsuppression, concrete tasks and site investigationdrilling. A remote cable control allows the driver ofthe towing vehicle to switch the water on and offas required when driving around the area.

The Distributor has an easy to operate water fillingand delivery process through a series of handoperated valves and quick release couplers. A water level tube is fitted at both the front of theequipment to allow the driver to see the level andat the rear for people on the work site. Thedistributor provides a facility to spray water via anextendable spray bar onto construction tasks toimprove the moisture content of the material thusallowing for improved compaction. The distributoralso is fitted with a spray plate which gives a widefine spray of water to dampen down dusty routesin camp areas or construction sites. The addedpowered water lance gives the user theopportunity to wash down vehicle wheels beforeleaving a work site and as such prevents droppingmaterial on a main road that may cause accidents.

This is a new design equipment which bringsconsiderable improvements to the old Distributor.

Changes to new equipment:1. Meets all HS&E requirements2. Driver operates water delivery from cab

through cable remote control.3. Has extendable water spreader bar giving

increased width of spray.4. Has a spreader plate which gives an arc of

water for dust suppression5. Has a water hose with lance to provide a wash

down facility.6. Has clearly visible water level indicators (on

the old one you had to go on top of the tank,open the hatch and use the dipstick).

7. Engine, wash down hose and controls all in a locked cabin with a roll down door.

Mixing Machine Set 25ltr TrolleyMounted (SCAB) This small but important mixer is utilised bythe Airfield Damage Repair (ADR) teams tocarry out urgent repairs to a runway that hasscab damage to the surface. The mixer hasthe ability to mix quick setting epoxy resins,adhesives or cement to allow the runway tobe repaired quickly and efficiently when therunway may otherwise be put out of use.

The hand pushed equipment with liftinghandles can be easily lifted by 4 men andloaded into a Military Land Rover to allow foreasy access to all parts of the airfield. Thehandles are also longer to allow users tostand up straight when moving it around.

The Drill when loaded on the Trailer can betowed by the new in service MAN Truck. TheCompressor which is a trailer mountedequipment and not skid mounted aspreviously supplied, can also be towed by thenew truck and the Compressor provides theair pressure to drill to the depth required inany location.

Drill Rotary EOD with Trailer andCompressorThe introduction of the new Drill Rotary EODbrings the latest commercially availabledrilling equipment to the user community. Thistype of equipment is in regular use within thecivilian drilling industry and is well provenequipment.

The Drill can drill down to 20m as required bythe EOD Regiment in very quick time and hasthe power and torque strength to go throughall types of material that may be found, in theneed to prove an area is clear of World War 2bombs.

Crane 30T (Terex AC35)The medium crane is a motorised slewingcrane fitted with an extendable Jib andOutriggers. The crane is capable of liftingloads in the 20-30T range and will bereplacing the entire fleet of 128 MediumColes Crane with 59 of the new Terex AC35. Itis equipped with a range of ancillariesnecessary to give the maximum versatility foruse within its’ role.

Some of the main roles are to include:• Combat Engineering• Construction Tasks• Air Support• Barracks Use• RLC Use

Additionally, the crane is capable ofindependent road movement between sitesand travel off road in support of units at up to80kmph.

High Mobility Engineer Excavator(HMEE)Building on the success with the protectedplant programme, ALC is working withManoeuvre Support IPT to assist them in theprocurement and support of the High MobilityEngineer Excavator (HMEE) as part of theRoute Proving & Clearance (RP&C) capability.Although it is already in service with the USArmy, the HMEE is not without its’ challengesas the project includes the development of acomplete Integrated Logistic Solution and theequipment requires significant modification inorder to fulfil its’ RP&C role.

It is too early to claim success, but withapproximately 60% of the project complete,there is a high degree of confidence that theproject will be delivered on schedule and tobudget.

The intended uses are to include but is notlimited to:• Construction tasks including FP

engineering• Lifting suitable craft out of the water for

repair• Loading MEXEFLOTE cells onto the upper

deck of current JRRF RORO vessels• Lifting a range of ‘dead’ vehicles from

dockside for loading and offloadingvessels or cleaning port areas.

Crane 50T (Terex AC55)The Heavy crane is a motorised slewing cranefitted with an extendable jib and outriggerscapable of lifting loads in the 30-50T rangewith a 360° slewing capability. It will bereplacing the existing in-service Grove Crane55t 4x4 Rough Terrain.

Truck Mounted Loader (TML)The TML is a motorised loading arm fitted to aChassis (Iveco 6x6 Trakker) capable of liftingloads of up to 6T. The TML is to undertakesome of the lifting tasks at the lower range ofwhat the current in-service medium crane iscurrently used for. It has a lift capability of 6Tand is transportable by both rail and aircraft.All controls for the loading arm are to beincluded on the vehicle but to also have aremote control pack.

Some of the TML’s uses will include:• Loading of pallets onto MGB trailers and

boats onto cradles• Lifting of concrete slabs• Splitting BR90 Tank bridges for inspection,

building and replacement panels• ISO container handling

Bomag BW 177 DH-4 (RollerMotorised Smooth Drum)

A modern single drum vibratory roller capableof being fitted with a Pad-Foot drum, replacingthe current Puma 6T roller.

• Compaction of sub-base, non-cohesivematerials on various construction sites

• With Pad-Foot - compaction of cohesivematerials (soils, clay etc)

• Weight - 7 Tonne• Width - 1.7m• Static Linear Compression - 2430 Kg/M

The Roller Motorised (SD) is fitted withBomag’s E-Vib compaction meter which usesthe relationship between the acceleration ofthe drum and the dynamic rigidity of thematerial being compacted to assist theoperator to fine tune compaction.

The ability to fit a Pad-foot drum kit in lessthan two hours without removing the vibratorydrum gives versatility above and beyond thecurrent legacy equipment. The Pad-Foot kitcomes with extra grip tyres (exchange wheels)allowing compaction on gradients without lossof traction.

The new Bomag roller is fitted with airconditioning for operator comfort in a wideclimactic range.

ERRP Deliveries 2009

15ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

17ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

Once in Camp Bastion, the two drills werechecked over and tested ready fordeployment forward by Combat LogisticPatrol. At the FOB’s, the operatingenvironment was demanding from atechnical, physical and logisticalperspective. The conditions in particularwere exceptionally hard both on men andthe machinery.

It is clear to me that without the proactivesupport of ALC that the task would have atleast been considerably extended if not assuccessful. To keep the Drills running andthe tasks on track required a large amount

of spares. It was due to the patient helpand assistance of the help desk along withthe guys at Stafford working behind thescenes that we were able to turn aroundfaulty parts and get them to theatre inpreviously unmanageably short timeframes. As a result of this partnership,which has been fostered over the last 2years, all the tasks were completed ontime, allowing the men and equipment toreturn to recuperate ready for the next taskwhen and wherever that may be.

By Captain Paul Golding MBE RE

As Forward Operating Bases (FOB) sprang up all over Helmand province lastyear, logistics became a real issue especially the large amount of the liftcapacity which was taken up moving bottled water. Ways to reduce theproblem were sought and as a result the 12 men of 2 (Drilling) Troop, 521STRE (WD) were tasked to fly out to Afghanistan with 2 Drilling Rigs and 10 ISOcontainers of stores to help relieve the logistical burden. The task was toconstruct safe and reliable water sources (boreholes) in 6 of the FOB’s. The Troop is split into 3 x 4 man sections, 2 Drilling Sections and a HQ Section.

The range of capability required, droveprevious procurements into buying verycomplicated hydraulic and electronic drillswhich, whilst state of the art at the time,proved to be difficult to operate andmaintain, and contributed to the 3 heavyand 3 light drills never being available forsimultaneous use. Also the vast range oftasks that they could be called on to do,added to the difficulty by requiring a hugeCES (Complete Equipment Schedule) someof which, because of its’ specialism, isalmost impossible to identify. Then todeploy just a single heavy drill takes 4 lowloaders and weeks of laborious effort to sortthe appropriate CES.

This set ALC a challenge as it has tomanage these drills as efficiently as anyother piece of plant in its’ fleet. The prioritywas to identify what we had and by aprocess of elimination determine what wasmissing or broken and replace or repair it.This was a bigger task than we hadappreciated and it was thanks to our supplychain Finning, for engineering support; JKSBoyles for its’ specialist knowledge; togetherwith our own specialist drill engineers andthe help of the MOD at Chilwell, we wereable complete this herculean task.

What was clear from this initial exercise wasthat to maintain the required readiness,more real estate was urgently needed.

This was not available at Chilwell and worsethan that, the building much of it was storedin was in a dangerous condition and had tobe vacated and be dismantled. By workingclosely with the CMC, a solution was foundby utilising some spare estates capability atRAF Stafford, and whilst the transportbetween Stafford and Chilwell introducedadditional cost, it was cheaper than theconstruction of a new facility at Chilwell.

Once established at Stafford, the drills andCES were catalogued, photographed forease of identification and palletised intotask related groups so that demands couldbe quickly met. The efficiency this hasintroduced, has reduced deployment times;

reduced loads to be transported; andmaximised availability, all of which hasallowed for the first time all 3 heavy and 3light drills sets to be simultaneouslydeployed.

The current effort is directed at replacingthe legacy fleet with equipment that iseasier to use and maintain. To date, 5Comacchio drills for auguring and coresampling have been introduced (this

replaced 9 drills of 3 different types).Currently going through the procurementprocess are Truck Mounted Well Drills, thatcombine both the heavy and lightrequirements into one drill specification,which simplifies its’ support effort, such asspares and training. Similarly, these newdrills will be mounted on an IVECO chassiscommon to other C Vehicles beingintroduced such as the new SLDT (SelfLoading Dump Truck) and MDT (Medium

Dump Truck), again reducing the supporteffort.

The task of maintaining a wide range ofdrilling capability at optimum availability isnot an easy one but with the right selectionof new equipment, proper storage and thesupport of an experienced supply chain, ALC engineers are able to meet thedemands made on them.

Drill Replacements

Rotary Dando 2000 (Qty 3) M Track (Qty 1) Howden Skidsteer (Qty 5)

New Equipment name Comacchio Geo 205 - Drill Utility

Date included in the fleet 2008

Number 5

Equipment to be replaced

Comacchio Geo 205 - Drill Utility

Howden T30 (Qty 2)

New Equipment name Comacchio MC 450 - Drill Rotary EOD

Date included in the fleet June 2009

Number 5

Equipment to be replaced

Comacchio MC 450 - Drill Rotary EOD

Well Drilling OperationsHelmand Province 2008

Drills!

Edeco Truck Mounted Well Drill (Qty 3) Edeco Truck Mounted Site Investigation Drill (Qty 3)

New Equipment name Drilling Machine Rotary Truck Mounted Well Drill

Date included in the fleet August 2009 - testing /

September 2009 - user trials /

Summer 2010 in service

Number TBC

Equipment to be replaced

Drilling Machine Rotary Truck Mounted Well Drill

Often not appreciated, is the breadth of capability the MOD has for extractingsubterranean water for drinking; blasting rock to obtain material for pavementconstruction; and concrete production or even testing ground conditions priorto major structures being built. The key to this capability is the comprehensiverange of drills that it has at its’ disposal; from heavy equipment that will drill300mm diameter holes over 300m deep, through the toughest of ground tolight air-transportable ones that can be used for rock blasting.

16 ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

Easily said but very difficult to achieve ifeverybody doesn’t know what they aremeant to do. The C Vehicle CapabilityContract document that spells outeveryone’s responsibilities carries amanual handling warning - it’s that big.Just think of the complexity of the servicedelivered and add lawyers. To help thosein the MOD to know their part in getting thebest out of the contract, there is a JointServices Publication (JSP 818) whichclearly states the arrangements andprocedures to be followed by User Unitsand the Chain of Command when using theC Vehicle Capability. JSP 818 is a muchsmaller document than the contract, yetsome individual’s familiarity with it is poorand as a result the service is not asoptimised as it could be.

To improve general awareness of therequirements, the ‘Help Us To Help You’initiative was created. The idea was to usemultiple approaches to promote keyelements of JSP 818 through a range ofmedia. To date, a DVD has been producedthat follows a real scenario involving thedelivery of additional equipment tooperations; the C Vehicle CapabilityHandbook has been published whichprovides a quick guide to availableequipment; a 2009 desk planner and diarywhich has a different extract from JSP 818on it every day; and there is even an airfreshener for use in the cabs of ourequipment with the helpdesk number it.

To recognise when an individual or wholeUser Unit goes that extra mile to help reallyget it right a ‘Thank You’ card and ALCinsulated mugs are issued to them. By theend of April 2009, over 100 ‘Thank You’shad been awarded to every rank fromPrivate to Major. The most significantbenefit of the ‘Help Us To Help You’initiative has been the reduction ofadditional charges to the MOD for failing tocarry out it’s obligations. Just as importantthough, there is a greater awareness ofwhat is required to keep the C Vehicle fleetfit which has been reflected in high levelsof availability and helps operators andmaintainers to kept skill levels current, andfor them to gain valuable experience forwhen it is needed most – on operations.

JSP 818 online reference:http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil.uk/DefenceIntranet/Library/CivilianAndJointService/BrowseDocumentCategories/SupportServices/IndustrialServices/PlantHire/Jsp818.htm

Help Us To Help YouIf everybody doeswhat they’re meant to,it will all go well.

“”

Green and Single Fuel ChallengeWhat has been driving the acceleration of theERRP is the conflict in requirements betweenthe operational imperative for ease of logisticsupport that aircraft and vehicles run on asingle kerosene type aviation fuel (Avtur); andthat they meet ever more stringent EuropeanEmissions legislation. The legislationchanges, present a huge challenge to enginemanufacturers who must design their enginesto meet these two incompatible requirementsas, in comparison to road diesel, Avtur has anextremely high sulphur content that willrequire significant engine redesigns oradditives to allow compliant use. As theEuropean Emissions legislation is beingintroduced in stages and vehicles and plantat separate times, ALC has opted to ensuretimely procurement of its’ excavator andtractor fleet so that the current enginedesigns can be used, thus avoiding any risksassociated with the introduction of unprovenengine technology into its’ operational fleet.

For its’ Truck Fleet, ALC has decided to bitethe bullet and introduce the SelectiveCatalytic Reduction (SCR), which allowscurrent engine technology to be usedproviding an additive, AdBlue, injected intothe exhaust system. This technology hasalready been well tested by commercial truckmanufacturers and minimises the risk of its’introduction. The C Vehicle truck fleet willtherefore be compliant with Euro 5legislation, which is not due until late 2009,and will make it one of the greenest fleets inMOD operation.

Cut costs – Make all the Trucks the sameCurrently the C Vehicle truck fleet hasvehicles manufactured by 3 differentmanufacturers (Foden, Volvo & Iveco) all ofwhich require different logistic supportpackages and create an unnecessary supportburden. To improve this situation, ALC hascontracted to buy one truck type, the IvecoTrakker 6X6

for all of the following 7 variants over the next18 months.

• Truck Mounted Loader x 33• Self Loading Dump Truck x 71 • Self Loading Dump Truck (Crowd Riot

Control) x 17• Medium Dump Truck x 63• Medium Dump Truck (Winterised and

Waterproofed) x 7 • Truck Mounted Flush Capping Systems x

10 • Truck Mounted Well Drill x 5

The Iveco Trakker chassis will be providedwith a 450PS Euro V engine and EurotronicAutomatic transmission; a 6x6 mediummobility driveline; and a fully air conditionedcab. This will be the first and greenest Euro Vengine introduced in the British Army. Theengine has been fully tested and trialled toensure that it does operate on AVTUR fuels.

The Truck programme will greatly improve thelogistical, maintenance & training burdens byconsolidating 3 truck chassis onto one and byintroducing a self deploying volumetric batch(concrete) mixer, along with the new capabilityof the Truck Mounted Loader (TML).

The first tranche of Trakker chassis willsupport the TML project during the summerof 2009 and will be certified for use in theAutumn with the other projects followingclosely behind. Deliveries and certificationbeing phased through late 2009 and early2010.

Optimisation of Excavator and Tractor FleetsThe C Vehicle excavator and tractor fleets likethe truck fleet, has equipments provided by 3manufacturers (JCB, CAT & CASE). However,in the case of plant, a single chassis solutionwould not be possible. The search is on forthe best equipment to meet the capabilityand, as with the other procurements, ALC willseek to focus on any opportunity that wouldreduce the cost of support. Not surprisingly inthese economically challenging times, thereare a lot of manufacturers interested in being

chosen to supply the new fleets and duringthe second half of 2009 there will be manyequipment trials to find the optimummachines to meet the requirements.

Royal Navy & Royal Air ForceInclusionOver the course of the second half of 2008,ALC was engaged with the MOD to conduct afeasibility study for the inclusion of someRoyal Navy (RN) and Royal Air Force (RAF)equipment fleets into the existing C VehiclePFI. The findings of the study showed thatrationalisation of the RN and RAF into thecurrent C Vehicle contract would provide asustainable, affordable, and output drivenapproach to delivering their servicerequirements. Looking further into 2009, theMOD will continue to assess and evaluate thefunding requirement and commercialconsiderations for incorporating the RN, RAFand Army C Vehicle equipment into a singleTri-Service Fleet.

Keep on OptimisingThe pressure to continue to optimise C Vehicle Capability does not let up, nor dothe additional demands that UrgentOperational Requirements force upon us. To date, a lot has been achieved and there isa lot more to come. Success has comethrough the dedication of everyone involved;collectively we have made a huge differenceto the capability and in our customer’sconfidence in the service they can expect toreceive. We hope you enjoyed reading this2009 issue of Torque as it charts anotheryear in the fascinating history of the contractthat is C Vehicle Capability.

If you thought that the Equipment Replacement and Refurbishment Programme (ERRP) had beendramatic so far with over 25 lines of equipment consisting of over 700 new pieces of kit, youhaven’t seen anything yet. The next few years will see the replacement of all the excavator andtractor fleets and all the vehicles that are derivatives of a truck chassis like dump trucks, thenew range of Truck Mounted Loaders (TML) and truck mounted well drills.

What’s Next?

19ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 200918 ALC TORQUE I Issue Five I 2009

Examples of what youcan do to ‘Help Us ToHelp You’:• Returning equipment clean, fuelled

and serviced at the end of a demandallows quicker turnarounds for the nextone.

• Reporting faults promptly helpsprevent further deterioration ofequipment performance, culminatingin total loss of capability.

• Accurate demanding of spares enablesonly those items needed for a repair tobe despatched, ensuring betteravailability for other users.

• Request a unit briefing by CMC & ALCto increase the understanding of whatthe C Vehicle Capability contract candeliver, and what your part is inOptimising Capability.

Some interestingaward facts so far:• 1st Recipient - SSgt Bull of 59

Commando Engr Sqn, Royal Engineers.He asked ALC for some support to aplant training programme heorganised prior to deploying on Ops inearly August 2008.

• Latest Recipients- SSgt Tim Young andSSgt Sav Sanlon of 591 Field SqnRoyal Engineers(V) based in Antrim.Both returned equipment fromdemand in excellent condition inMarch 2009.

• Unit with most recipients- 21 Engr Regtwith 7.

• The Royal Engineers have received themost with 40. The next largest group isthe MOD civil servants with 11. TheRoyal Logistics Corps have been given7 and the REME 4 ‘Thank You’s’.