Choosing a ground support equipment supplier is a critically-important task. Your ground support operation can only be as effective as your equipment allows its operators to make it, and the equipment can only be as good as your suppliers provide. That means you need to use the best possible discernment when you make a decision about who to entrust your ground support equipment supply to. The following are some factors you should consider before you sign off on a decision.

First and foremost, look at what they offer for power on the ground. Make sure their power supply options operate at the appropriate frequencies for your needs. If this doesn’t work, you probably aren’t looking at the right possible supplier and should move on to the next.

Next, look at what’s available for air. You’ll want to make sure you can get a preconditioned air unit that will suffice for all the aircraft you’ll need to support. If possible, look for units that are versatile and compatible with multiple aircraft without major internal overhauls. Some allow you to simply select compatible aircraft from a control panel. These are an excellent bet.

Battery chargers and other forms of power supplies can be some of the hardest things to find. There are many different varieties of battery involved in aircraft support, for everything from forklifts to tugs. You need one that will suffice for any of your infrastructural equipment, or failing that, as many units as possible.

Finally, you’re going to want to take a very close look at the logistical requirements associated with the ground support equipment you invest in. Ideally, you’ll get equipment that can be shuffled around in a C-130. Being able to utilize the standard modes of cargo transportation will grant you greater mobility and make your investments more versatile in the long run, so this can and should be a priority you take into consideration.

ITW Military GSE is an excellent example of a company that strives to provide equipment to these specifications. They have been providing equipment for ground support since the 1970s, and have kept up with all the current technological conventions. They provide equipment compatible with all the current fighters in need of ground-support, including the F-35. By looking at what’s currently available and choosing versatile equipment that will support a variety of planes, you can put together a much more robust support platform for use as needed.