Initially delivered in April 2022, the system is used in support of the Hawk aircraft that are operated by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows.

The Information Management System (IMS) was designed to collect a broad range of data from each aircraft sortie including flying hours, number of landings, aircraft configuration, engine performance data, fatigue meter readings, fuel contents, and data on component life usage.

Data is collected and analysed to determine how much fatigue the aircraft’s major components have consumed. This information is used by engineers to plan component maintenance and replacement effectively, using a suite of reports that show how much fatigue and usage each component is accruing over time against planned maintenance schedules for individual aircraft. Being web-based the IMS is accessible to authorised users across the MOD and industry, wherever they have a connection to the MOD network.

The latest update will deliver the capability to analyse data resulting from two additional sortie profiles used by the aircraft to meet additional operational requirements. 

Breaking new ground for tlmNexus

The IMS differs from other tlmNexus’ solutions such as Resolve, which is tlmNexus’ most widely-used application providing support to military aircraft fleets. Unlike Resolve, which provides digitised processes that enable rapid, effective issue management and decision making, the IMS has been designed to be the primary tool for calculating the fatigue index for the major structural components on the aircraft and support the management of critical components and scheduled maintenance.