From 08 to 17 July 2024, EATC led cross-maintenance training events in Alaska (USA) with multinational A400M teams. The events took place in parallel to the German exercice Artic Defender 24 (Pacific Skies 24) and under the umbrella of EATC’s Lighthouse Project, aiming at improving interoperability, effectiveness and efficiency. One of the main pillars of the Lighthouse Project is cross-maintenance.
During this year’s event, a Multinational Maintenance Team (MMT), was set up to maintain the French and German A400M fleet. The MMT was led by the French maintenance organization and thus the technicians followed French procedures as one and only unit, regardless of their nationality and the flag of the aircraft. Spanish A400M technicians werealso incorporated into the MMT in order to share experience and increase operational flexibility.
Artic Defender 24 also served as a platform for testing the new version of the EATC’s “Cross-Maintenance Operations Manual” that was launched in 2023. This year, EATC went further in testing the cross-maintenance process and, in close cooperation with the French maintenance organization, allowed the binational French-German certifying staff was to allow the release to service of the entire A400M deployed fleet.
Major-General Franck Mollard, Commander EATC, congratulates “the EATC team for leading a successful 2024cross-maintenance event. I also thank the French, German and Spanish team for their commitment and their hunger to learn from each and to work together. This is multinational cooperation at its best!”
The Lighthouse project is dear to General Mollard’s heart. “EATC’s cross-support projects are the opportunity to our nations to reach one of the highest level of interoperability and to lower the footprint of the individual national burden.Together we apply best practices. I am looking forward to extending the current A400M project to the A330-MRTT fleet.”
Stay tuned to hear more about it!
Click here to findmore about EATC's "Lighthose Project".