From the outset of its development, the French Ministry of Defence has imposed very stringent requirements on the Rafale in terms of integrated logistics support (ILS). Thanks to the experience acquired with the Mirage 2000, concurrent engineering techniques, bold technological choices and Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA software, the Rafale benefits from excellent operational availability.
To ensure maximum autonomy during its operational deployments, the Rafale only needs a minimum of ground equipment: The maintainability features validated during the development phase by French Navy and Air and Space Force support specialists have demonstrated their reliability in combat during various operations. This ease of maintenance means that technicians can be trained quickly: Rafale conversion training and aircraft support can be organised for export clients within a few weeks, providing them with the operating autonomy they need until the successful deployment of their fleet.
Thanks to its excellent reliability, the Rafale has considerably reduced maintenance costs. The Rafale’s original maintenance concept means less scheduled maintenance, requiring fewer maintenance man-hours and a smaller number of mechanics.
The Rafale does not need to leave its operational base for maintenance purposes, and its airframe and engines no longer have to undergo lengthy and costly periodic major overhauls, unlike other types of fighter aircraft.
While the fleet leaders have cumulated more than 5000 flight hours, not a single structural part has been changed, validating the robustness of the airframe and the maintenance concept.
Rafale deployments have confirmed that there is no need for specialised infrastructure, even in the event of intensive use: maintenance can be carried out either outdoors, or possibly under temporary shelter.
Standardisation at the design stage has also helped to reduce the number of different spare parts: Likewise, improved troubleshooting procedures allow the exchange of electronic circuit boards inside major “line replaceable units” (LRUs), rather than replacing the LRUs: this applies to the RBE2 radar, the SPECTRA EW suite, the MDPU mission computer and to other equipment as well.
The Rafale does not use any external test facilities on the runway: thanks to its extensive built-in testability, the mechanics carry out the tests on the aircraft itself. An engine test bench is no longer required, which represents a remarkable innovation in the field of fighter aircraft maintenance.