In this second section of our article covering the first panel of the AD2S 2024 conference series, entitled “Technical-operational support for defense aeronautics facing a major conflict", we take a look at the solutions proposed by the speakers, such as the French Air And Space Force's MORANE concept, the development of command and support centers, the quest for coalition air superiority, and the need to “get away from the logic of over-reliability”, so as to be ready and able to sustain a major high-intensity conflict scenario.

Written on 04 November 2024.

Military MRO And The Challenge Of A Major High-Intensity Conflict: The Need For A Change In Mindset (II of II)

By Murielle Delaporte - Highlights of the first panel entitled “Technical-operational support for defense aeronautics facing a major conflict" (Part II)

Solutions And Tools: “Thinking Outside The Box”

The dispersal of air assets implemented by the French AAE as part of the MORANE concept (equivalent to the USAF's ACE doctrine for “Agile Combat Employment ”) is the subject of a great deal of training, as was the case during the VOLFA 2024 exercise.

Rapid redeployment under realistic degraded conditions (”formidable adversary ”, mission without GPS or without a full logistical flow) requires not only an agile C2, but also inventive mechanisms capable of working under high intensity pressure...

For General Gourdain, four conditions are necessary so that military MRO may cope with the tempo and attrition generated by a high end conflict hypothesis:

Agility, i.e. the ability to “think outside the box” in order to respond effectively to assumptions that do not comply with manuals and procedures;
Robustness, i.e. the ability to quickly re-use equipment and train mechanics in a degraded environment (using degraded tooling);
A more fluid interoperability between the support provided by the forces and the one provided by industries enabling rapid decision-making based on mutual trust;
Innovation, both in technology (such as the 3D revolution), and in the way we approach issues in cooperation with industry.

This innovation can be seen, for example, in the acceleration of the development of dedicated support control centers, i.e. technical platforms that break down silos and enable all players to work together to improve availability.

These platforms already play an essential role in the event of a specific problem (as was the case for an A400M damaged in Darwin during the Pegasus exercise this year) or during the Olympic Games, to ensure maximum availability of the Fennec aircraft for the air safety posture: these are referred to as “circumstancial platforms”.

In the event of a major high-intensity engagement, these platforms would actually become genuine “war platforms”².

The need to work in coalition

The reappearance of symmetrical threats means that Western armed forces must work in coalition, both to gain or maintain air superiority and to regain the initiative in the tempo of operations.

This is the view of General Gomez Blanco, who stressed the importance of exercises such as Pacific Skies this summer with France and Germany.

It is also the view of Rear-Admiral Lamielle, who points out that “we're moving out of our comfort zone” and is delighted that joint exercises now take into account attrition and supply chain problems, which was not the case until recently.

Getting back to core mission essentials: “getting away from the logic of 'over-reliability’”

For General Gourdain, the Orionis exercise “which now takes place all year round with industries" is precisely tailored to the need to “shift from supporting the training or our forces to actually training the support forces” as far as all the forces and supply chain are concerned.

Orionis makes it possible to “multiply stress tests” with the aim of measuring the impact on the safety and the performance of solutions that put the mission ahead of “over-reliability and over-quality ”, which have dominated industrial logic for decades. We need to “move from regulated airworthiness to manageable airworthiness”, but in order to achieve this, it is absolutely essential that we consult industry to adopt and test the right solutions in a degraded environment.

General Feola, former commander of the French Air Force Assault and Projection Brigade (BAP for "Brigade aérienne d'assaut et de projection"), reinforced that point explaining that “the flight safety framework must adapt”, so that aircraft and crews can fly every day, because “qualified crews are not available off the shelf”...

A new mindset must therefore prevail, because “ it cannot be decreed ” the moment it's needed, he concluded.

Notes :
¹ General Sabéné
² General Feola