ABSTRACT Level of repair analysis (LORA) aims to determine the optimal repair policy for complex systems’ components. A repair policy is an a priori decision about which faulty components to discard or repair, and where these actions should take place. Traditionally, LORA models have assumed the maintenance network as pre-defined and identified the resources required to perform the maintenance at each facility as an output. In this paper, the maintenance network itself is an output rather than an input. Other advantages are the ability to deploy different types of resources at the operational level and to allow precise identification of the faulty component. We propose a mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation for the optimization problem, associated with a flow model. Experiments using a set of hypotheticals, but adequate for the purposes of the study, instances provide strong evidence that the formulation’s capabilities can lead to significant cost savings.

Resumo Logística de defesa (LD) é uma importante e ainda inexplorada área de conhecimento da Engenharia de Produção. Assim, este artigo tem como propósito estabelecer o domínio de problema de LD. O foco recai sobre aspectos industriais, tecnológicos, institucionais, organizacionais e, principalmente, de gestão estratégica, aplicáveis à logística no setor de defesa. Também se propõe a desenvolver um arcabouço conceitual identificando objetivos da LD, áreas funcionais, componentes estruturais e interfaces com o ambiente externo. O arcabouço define Base Logística de Defesa (BLD) como um sistema destinado a criar e sustentar capacidade militar, mas também envolvido em desenvolver capacidades industriais, associadas a alta e média alta tecnologias, para produtos de elevado valor agregado, com uso dual. Ao final propõe uma agenda para pesquisa futura sobre gestão estratégica em LD.

Abstract Defense logistics (DL) is an important and yet unexplored knowledge area of Production Engineering. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to establish the DL problem domain. The focus is on industrial, technological, institutional, organizational and, specially, strategic management aspects applied to logistics in the defense sector. It also proposes a conceptual framework identifying DL objectives, functional areas and interfaces with the environment. The framework defines the Defense Logistics Base (DLB) as a system meant to create and sustain military capability, but also involved with the development of industrial capability, related to high and medium-high technologies, applied to high value products, with dual use. Furthermore, it suggests a research agenda for future work on strategic management related to DL.