Critical Care | Designing Sustainment Into the Future

This episode is shared from Critical Care, a podcast produced by Shephard Studio in partnership with Collins Aerospace. 

Sustainment has long been seen as a downstream concern — something to be managed after procurement. But what happens when you flip that mindset?

In this final episode of the current Critical Care series, produced by Shephard Studio in partnership with Collins Aerospace, we look at the next evolution of military aircraft support — one where sustainment is not only part of the mission, but designed into the platform from day one.

We hear from key voices across Collins Aerospace, including Chris Norris, Mike Yunker, Marc Harrington and Michael Nelson, as they explore how predictive maintenance, digital engineering and common systems are reshaping the entire lifecycle of defence aviation. They discuss how AI, real-time data and open architecture are driving faster fixes, smarter logistics and more agile support — not in theory, but in practice.

From augmented reality goggles for remote troubleshooting to embedded analytics that forecast component failures before they happen, this episode reveals how the future of sustainment is becoming faster, more integrated and more aligned with the operational tempo of the modern battlespace.

More than technology, it’s a cultural shift. Sustainment is no longer a separate conversation — it’s central to design, procurement and mission success.