In Brief - AD2S Aerospace & Defence Support and Services

This third panel in the AD2S conference series, entitled “Innovation in aerospace technical-operational support services, an air power factor”, explored current avenues and prospects for meeting the challenge of innovation adapted to military MRO. Armed forces, institutions and industry need to be able to plan the integration of technological advances currently being made at exponential speed, in the face of a fluid timetable, not only because of the need to prepare for a major high-intensity conflict, but also because of the difficulty of making innovation and contractualization coincide. The issue of capturing innovation and integrating it incrementally was thus one of the main themes addressed during this panel discussion, along with the associated problem of mastering data and digitalization at the heart of all military MRO developments, both as an objective and as a tool for ongoing modernization. This first part focuses on the theme of capturing innovation.

Written on 03 February 2025.

Military MRO: Enhancing Readiness By Optimizing Resources and Suppressing Irritants (I of II)

By Murielle Delaporte - Highlights of the third panel of the AD2S conference series, entitled “Innovation in aerospace technical-operational support services, an air power factor” Moderated by Jean-Marc Roffi, executive engineer and former...

This second part of our article on the highlights of the second panel of the first day of AD2S conferences focuses on the three other areas of adaptation mentioned by the panelists, namely: the optimization of existing solutions thanks to the existence of a dual-use industrial base; the urgent need to lighten the peacetime regulatory straitjacket in order to optimize the ratio between maintenance hours and flight hours, thereby reducing aircraft downtime; national autonomy in terms of resources, an essential condition for dealing with HI.

Written on 20 January 2025.

Military MRO In France: “Moving Towards a Combat Maintenance Planning Document” (II of II)

By Murielle Delaporte - Highlights from the second panel entitled “Preparing For Conflict: Economy of Aerospace Operational Support Services” (Part II) This second part of our article on the highlights of the second panel of the first day...

With the specter of the combination of a large scale operation and high intensity conflict (HI), the way to conduct warfare and business in France is evolving. Given “the French specificity of a defense industry that is an integral part of its defense posture”, it is logical that key military MRO players reflect on how to adapt the working methods of the “technical-industrial pole”, which includes both industries and government.The aim of this panel was for each of the speakers to answer the question asked by Jean Belin in introduction, namely: “What is the impact of high intensity and the return of symmetry between adversaries since the outbreak of war in Ukraine within your entity?” Their presentations and answers revolved around four major themes:mobilizing resources to ensure the ramp-up of production and regeneration capacities; optimizing existing solutions thanks to the existence of a dual-purpose industrial base;the urgent need to lighten the peacetime regulatory straitjacket in order to optimize the ratio between maintenance hours and flight hours, and thus reduce aircraft downtime;national autonomy in terms of resources as an essential condition for dealing with HI.This first part deals with the mobilization of resources to ensure the ramp-up of production and regeneration capacities.

Written on 09 December 2024.

Military MRO In France: “Moving Towards A Combat Maintenance Planning Document” (I of II)

By Murielle Delaporte - Highlights of the second panel entitled “Preparing For Conflict: Economy of Aerospace Operational Support Services” This second panel, moderated by Jean Belin, researcher in economy and defense at Bordeaux University, featured...

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...

This two-part article summarizes the highlights of the first panel in the AD2S 2024 conference series, entitled ““Technical-operational support for defense aeronautics facing a major conflict"”. This first section focuses on the following two major points raised by the participants: definition and impact of a major high intensity conflict on the forces: “integrating military MRO into the maneuver”; the question of mass.

Written on 04 November 2024.

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

By Murielle Delaporte - Highlights of the first panel entitled “Technical-operational support for defense aeronautics facing a major conflict" (Part I) This panel was moderated by Air Force Lieutenant General (2S) Jean-Marc Laurent, founder...

In this interview, General (2S) Jean-Marc Laurent, who heads the Defense & Aerospace Chair at Sciences Po Bordeaux and has designed AD2S conference program,presents this year conference agenda, whose common thread reflects the security issues affecting today’s world, namely the resurgence of a major high-intensity conflict.

Written on 19 September 2024.

AD2S 2024 Conference Program: An Agenda “Based On Current Security Events”

By Murielle Delaporte - Interview with General (2S) Jean-Marc Laurent, head of the Defense & Aerospace Chair at Sciences Po Bordeaux Heir to the ADS Show created in 2012, AD2S takes up the torch of this singular aeronautical show. Unique...

This second part focuses on the lessons learned from Operation Serval in Mali in 2013 and the role of the CSFA during a mission that was highly unusual because of the nature of the theatre.

Written on 27 August 2024.

Archives – CSFA: ‘COMBAT PROVEN’ (II of II)

Photo: logistic support during the Serval Operation in Mali © EMA / ECPAD (as published in >>> https://operationnels.com/2014/05/12/dans-les-coulisses-de-serval-assurer-le-soutien-logistique-dans-le-brouillard-de-la-guerre/) By Murielle Delaporte...

In the interview below, conducted in 2014, General Laurent reviews the evolution of the CSFA (“Commandement du soutien des forces aériennes”, i.e. French Air Force Support Command), when he was commanding it as well as the South-West Defense and Security Zone. This command, born in 2008 from the French Air Force AIR2010 program, was then preparing to merge with the CFA (French Air Force command). This reform highlighted the CSFA’s primary function of supporting forces "at the heart of operational maneuvers", as well as its proven technical-operational performance, deployment after deployment and at a time of great defense resource constraints.

Written on 19 August 2024.

Archives – Combat proven : Lessons Learned From The French Air Force Support Combat Command (I of II)

Supporting the Rafale © armée de l’Air et de l’Espace(as published at https://operationnels.com/2014/05/11/le-csfa-combat-proven/) An Interview with Air Force Lieutenant General Jean-Marc Laurent, former Commander of the French Air Force Support...

Written on 15 July 2024.

Military MRO: a tale of generations (II of II)

Photo: a Puma crew from the 1/44 Solenzara helicopter squadron – specialized in Search and Rescue - returns from a night mission © Jean-Luc Brunet, French Air and Space Force, Solenzara, April 10th, 2024 By Murielle Delaporte Military...

On May 2nd, 2024, the French Air and Space Force (AAE) organized a ceremony at Ventiseri-Solenzara French Air Base 126 in honor of the SA-330 Puma helicopter and in order to celebrate its fifty years of service and nearly sixty years of existence.

Written on 01 July 2024.

Military MRO: a tale of generations (I of II)

Photo Credit: ceremony in honour of the Puma's 50th anniversaryArmée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Ventiseri-Solenzara air base (BA) 126, 2 May 2022(https://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/actualites/anniversaire-puma-celebre-ses-50-ans-service-operationnel-larmee-lair-lespace) By...

If we take up the five challenges mentioned in the first part of this article - visibility for manufacturers ; simplification of procurement process ; securing supply chains ; recruitment ; funding -, it is useful to compare the evolution of the Military Aviation maintenance sector in regards with different historical contexts and with the benefit of hindsight.

Written on 07 June 2024.

Military Aviation MRO and the concept of « war economy » (II of II)

Par Murielle Delaporte This is part II of our article entitled “Military Aviation MRO and the concept of 'war economy'” The Specific Challenges of Military Aviation MRO If we take up the five challenges mentioned in the...

While the conflict in Ukraine has restored a vocabulary not used since World War I, the choice of words and the scope of their meaning must be interpreted in the context of the 21st century and in the light of the transformations that have marked recent decades.

Written on 03 June 2024.

Military Aviation MRO and the concept of « war economy » (I of II)

GENERAL INFORMATION Photo: maintenance of the Mirage 2000, a fighter Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained in France to fly on the battlefield © Julien Fechter, French Air Force ( as published in >>> https://archives.defense.gouv.fr Military...

In the field of defense and security, operational maintenance (MCO in French for “maintien en condition opérationnelle”) involves the support of “everything that flies and helps to fly, from drones to the upper atmosphere”, says Engineer General Marc Howyan, Director of the Direction de la maintenance aéronautique (DMAé). In France, MCO is structured following a logic of domains: aeronautical maintenance (MCO-A for “maintien en condition opérationnelle aéronautique”) refers specifically to the aeronautical environment, by analogy to land-based maintenance (MCO-T for “maintien en condition opérationnelle Terrestre”) or naval maintenance.

Written on 06 May 2024.

France: “MCO-A” Summed Up In A Few Words And Figures

Operational maintenance by a mechanic on the SNECMA M53 engine of a Mirage 2000-5 deployed as part of NATO's Enhanced Air Policing mission © Julien Fechter, French “Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace”, Siauliai, Lithuania, December 8th, 2023 France: “MCO-A”...