CAMM2 earns its wings

By Andrew Stackpool

THE ADF’s computer-aided maintenance management CAMM2) system passed its first major operational challenges with flying colours.

On Op Sumatra Assist, a standalone system was deployed to support Iroquois and C-130s deployed to Butterworth. Navy tested the stand-alone system in Melbourne during the Formula 1 Grand Prix and in support of defence aircraft at the Avalon Air Show.

CAMM2 supports air operations by providing serviceable, airworthy and correctly configured weapons systems.

The decision to send a standalone server overseas was prompted by the aviation brigade commander of the Hueys sent to Banda Aceh, according to DMO director general Materiel Information Systems Brig Dave McGahey.

“We already had plans to increase the deployability of CAMM2,” Brig McGahey said.

“The commander was concerned about the communications infrastructure and that he would be unable to use the base version of CAMM2. He was concerned about how he would mange the Iroquois while the ADF were there. We put it to the team and they responded magnificently.”

A team of military and contract staff quickly assembled a kit from stocks, then familiarised 16 Avn Bde members before sending it to Banda Aceh.

“It worked extremely well,” Sqn-Ldr Mark Wilkins from the CAMM2 project office said.

The success of the system in Banda Aceh was due to the efforts of Cfn Andrew Henderson from 1 Avn Rgt, who deployed with the system, and Cpl Brendon Knopke from 5 Avn Rgt, who relieved him.

Cpl Knopke said there were a number of procedural, support equipment and environment problems, which created problems in the field and took hours of troubleshooting to correct. Coupled with this was the lack of system experience with aircrew and flight line maintainers.

“They all benefited from the exposure,” Cpl Knopke said. “It was fortunate that we were operating the Iroquois and not Black Hawks with their greater maintenance requirements.”

CAMM2 project manager Wg- Cdr David Fredericks said while the team was finalising the development of the stand-alone system, it was deployed to Banda Aceh.

Given its development at the time, some system bugs were identified that staff fixed in the field.

The Butterworth Herc detachment also used the system via satellite comms, rather than the stand alone box in the field.

Wg-Cdr Fredericks said system improvements are being built into CAMM2, with the lessons learned.

“We are trying to come up with the most robust system possible.”

Software releases are expected by the middle of the year, used to automate the data exchange system between the deployable units and the system’s mainframes.

The exchange system is CAMM2’s unique feature, Sqn-Ldr Wilkins said.

“As far as I know, it is the only maintenance system that works across all ADF-owned aircraft in our inventory,” Sqn-Ldr Wilkins said.