In 1998, Sabreliner began work on a series of subcontracts from Northrop Grumman in Lake Charles, La. for USAF E-8 (JOINT STARS) component inspection and repair. The E-8 is a modification and upgrade of the Boeing 707 platform.

As part of the overall J-STARS effort, all of the airframe elements of the veteran Boeing 707 aircraft selected for the program require in-depth inspection to insure satisfactory condition, incorporation of all relevant Boeing/FAA change notices and service letters, and identification of conditions requiring repair before re-assembly.

Sabreliner was selected by Northrop Grumman as a subcontractor to perform the inspection and overhaul effort on a number of the E-8 airframe components. The Perryville, Mo. facility lacks the hangar space necessary for a large number of Boeing 707 aircraft, but the company worked on a large quantity of major components that were transported by truck, including:

• Horizontal stabilizers
• Vertical stabilizers
• Outboard wing sections
• Rudders
• Elevators
• Leading edges
• Balance panels
• Wing tips
• Keel beam doors
• Ram air ducts
• Control columns

Sabreliner's quality performance was exceptional on the E-8 component effort. All items delivered to Northrop Grumman were installed without major discrepancies noted, and the customer was very satisfied with the performance. Minor discrepancies discovered at Northrop Grumman were corrected immediately and satisfactorily by Sabreliner crews dispatched to Northrop Grumman's assembly location.

Sabreliner met or exceeded all subcontract item delivery requirements. In some instances the customer's schedule requirements changed significantly, but Sabreliner devoted extra attention and effort to meet very aggressive revised schedule milestones. The company's success at these efforts resulted in a formal Letter of Commendation from Northrop Grumman in July, 2000.

While performing on these subcontracts, Sabreliner successfully reduced the customer's cost in at least two areas. First, by utilizing existing engineering and manufacturing capabilities, and OEM aircraft production experience, the company was able to manufacture certain replacement parts and components in-house, rather than procuring them from the original OEM. These discontinued parts were otherwise available only with long delays and at high cost. Second, the company continually sought opportunities to improve work planning and sequencing for better efficiency.

Sabreliner rapidly adapts to customers' ways of doing business, imposing a minimum of additional administrative burden on the "team." With Northrop Grumman, Sabreliner implemented improvements including:

• Sabreliner use of Northrop Grumman's internal process forms and paperwork such as Teardown, Test, and Evaluation (TT&E) forms and supplier documentation. This saved time and potential confusion on both sides, compared to filling out and maintaining duplicative Sabreliner standard forms in addition to the Northrop Grumman documents.
  
  
• The company moved significantly in the direction of the "paperless factory" concept by working with Northrop Grumman to develop efficient ways of storing and exchanging aircraft drawings and other technical data electronically, so that inter-company transmittal of hard-copy engineering/manufacturing documents was seldom needed.