May_June_2022 - 39

NAWCAD currently has two active patent license agreements in
place with two companies to formulate, produce and sell the Navguard
inventions. The qualified product formulations that have been licensed
meet the performance requirements of MIL-PRF-81309H, as do other
commercial products not associated with Navguard.
MIL-PRF-81309 Rev. H with Amendment 1, dated July 26, 2021,
specifies four different types:
* Type I - Soft film, with mildew inhibitor
* Type II - Soft film, general purpose grade
* Type III - Soft film, avionic grade
* Type IV - Advanced corrosion preventive compound
Per MIL-PRF-81309 Rev. H with Amendment 1, there are two
distinct class designations: Class 1-bulk container for brush, dip
or spray application and Class 2-self-pressurized container for
spray application.
Products submitted for qualification that meet the performance
requirements within MIL-PRF-81309 (corrosion preventative compounds,
water displacing, ultra-thin film) are listed in the Defense
Logistics Agency Qualified Products Database.
Over the course of his NAWCAD career, Arafat received many
patents for the products that he developed. The latest corrosion
prevention compound formulated by Arafat is a next-generation
product based on prior versions. Another formulation is explicitly
designed to prevent corrosion and inhibit the growth of mildew
simultaneously.
Like corrosion, mildew can be a constant headache for aircraft
maintainers.
" Metal, oxygen and water are all that's required to make rust, "
Arafat explained. " Preventing water from reaching the metal is
the secret to mitigating it. In addition, if you can use a metal alloy
that resists corrosion, that helps a lot too. And if you can combine
the two, you get the best results. "
Corrosion preventative compounds (CPCs) are used across the
entire fleet of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, which includes more
than 900 aircraft.
Monitoring and Training
Overall corrosion monitoring of aircraft type, models and series is
done using a Corrosion Health Assessment Scorecard, the first of
its kind in the Navy and the Department of Defense. The scorecard
identified several systemic challenges that contribute to corrosion.
One was a lack of training for corrosion maintenance tasking at
the organization level.
To address the corrosion training gap, the Navy launched the
Organization-Level Corrosion Control Reform program. The Navywide
training strategy is designed to establish a cadre of proficient
and professional corrosion maintainers and improve material conditions
throughout the fleet.
According to NAWCAD's Julia Russell and Cmdr. Terrance
McCray, who are leading the corrosion response effort, the approach
is threefold.
First, the Navy needs to develop and implement a uniform training
program for dealing with corrosion. Next, a cultural shift is
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A chemist from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft
Division prepares instrumentation to test surfaces for
corrosion in a lab at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
CHARLES FREEMAN/U.S. NAVY
required in how squadrons see corrosion mitigation. Historically,
it has been considered a low-skill job that doesn't contribute much,
if at all, to operational readiness.
" We want to put in place a culture where squadrons see corrosion
mitigation as being just as important as the radar system or the
weapons delivery system, where we are motivated to perform just
as well on corrosion as we do on immediate readiness, " McCray said.
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May_June_2022

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