Arcfield Canada is the prime contractor for the CF-18 Avionics Optimized Weapon System Support Contract awarded in October 2010 for which we provide a full complement of in-service support activities, including: Program Management; Technical Information Support; and 2nd and 3rd line Repair & Overhaul of the complete CF-18 Avionics suite and associated Support Equipment and Automated Test Equipment. Additionally, we provide Supply Chain Management including control of over $870M of government-owned material; Life Cycle Management; and Engineering Support Services, including software and hardware development.

In an effort to simplify project management, reduce costs, identify a focussed single point of contact and responsibility for support and performance, and to manage the risk portfolio, the OWSS/OWSM approach was developed for air, land and sea platforms.

 “Under the OWSM contracting approach, ideally a single contractor entity would share weapon system Total System Performance Requirement (TSPR) support responsibility with DND. DND would retain responsibility for a small number of predominately “managing” functions and would work with the contractor in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) approach to weapon system management.”

 Thus, this model consolidated multiple support providers under the umbrella of a single contractor, though not necessarily under the OEM. Two additional factors came into play; DND faced a tight budget and a constrained workforce which demanded a change in role and focus, and a more global movement on how you measure performance. Thus performance based ISS came into being. The ISSCF notes that, while presenting a number of challenges, “OWSM represents a significant, positive evolution toward a focus on outcomes, operational capability, and performance-based contracting.