This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) examines the whole construct of an Engine Health Management (EHM) system. This keystone document gives a top-level view and addresses EHM description, benefits, and capabilities, and provides examples. This ARP purposely addresses a wide range of EHM architectures to demonstrate possible EHM design options. This ARP is not intended as a legal document and does not provide detailed implementation steps, but does address general implementation concerns and potential benefits. Other SAE documents (Aerospace Standards, Aerospace Recommended Practices, and Aerospace Information Reports) address specific component specifications, procedures and "lessons learned".

The purpose of this ARP is to provide an Aircraft Gas Turbine Engine Health Management System Guide for commercial and government operators, aircraft manufacturers, engine producers and equipment suppliers. This guide is provided for program managers to obtain a sufficiently detailed understanding of EHM systems to make funding decisions. Similarly, it can be used by design personnel to obtain a systems perspective as well as references to guides on detail design of all aspects of an EHM system.