From the Desert to the Skies: Accelerated Aircraft Regeneration Leads to Achieving A Center of Excellence Status A rapidly changing world requires new ways of thinking about aircraft support in the aerospace and defense industry. The key to aircraft sustainment is integration of updated avionics and aircraft systems to meet current mission demands. To support the entire lifecycle of an aircraft, a defense contractor implements high-quality Maintenance, Modification, Repair, and Overhaul (MMRO) solutions combined with lean business practices to ensure a seamless process from cradle to grave. The question becomes, “how does this apply to major modernization efforts?” How does an airframe that has been moth-balled for over 10 years not only transform into an airworthy air tanker, but also obtain an FAA Type Certificate (TC) in less than four months?