Modernisation of maintenance in operational condition (MCO) of defence equipment is a ministerial priority. Concerning aeronautical equipment, a major decision was taken at the end of 2006 to bring together, as from 1rst January 2008, in the one organisation, the SIAé (Aeronautical Industrial Service), all industrial support work carried out under the Ministry of Defence. This represents a big contribution to improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of aeronautical MCO.
The SIAé: an Example of Modernisation in the Ministry of Defence
The maintenance in operational condition (MCO) of defence equipment is a major concern of the Ministry. Following her appointment in 2002, Mme Michèle Alliot-Marie ordered a study of ways of improving the MCO of equipment used by the Armed Forces. A number of inquiries have been conducted, notably by the Inspectorate-General of the Armed Forces, which have resulted in proposals for action plans. In the case of aeronautical equipment, which represents over 60 per cent of the overall cost of the Ministry’s MCO, a Commission on the Modernisation of Aircraft Maintenance (MMAé) has been created within the Ministry to decide on and steer the whole range of actions necessary.
Aeronautical support in the Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence is very heavily involved in the field of aeronautical MCO. Nearly 28,000 personnel, 80 per cent of them military, work in this area.
Aircraft support is divided conventionally into three levels of maintenance:
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