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EATT 2013. Under the planes, mechanics…

(B2 in Zaragoza) If a plane flies, it is because a mechanic has prepared the aircraft, has leaned, with passion, often on his machine

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During the EATT exercise, B2 wanted to shed light on these men and women who, often discreetly, carry out tremendous work. It is also on the ground that the multinational aspect is making the most progress. “ Each nation has developed its concepts, its equipment. We have much to pool and share. We will save money and gain efficiency ". summarizes Major Magali Allard, head of maintenance and member of the EATC, whom we meet on the tarmac of Zaragoza airport, in the shadow of the planes….

One stone, two shots

Originally, the EATT exercise was designed primarily to train aircrew to work together. The idea came to kill two birds with one stone. “ We proposed using an opportunity to graft aircraft mechanics in order to avoid having two different exercises. This is a double advantage. We have training for crews and ground mechanics she explains. " There are few opportunities where they have to work together. Goal : This is what I have told my mechanics several times, even if they are not mine. There is no right or wrong way to work. You have to find the best. (...) The teams are mixed, made up of Belgians, Czechs, Dutch, Swedish, French, Germans, Italians. It’s never the French or the Swedes among themselves. »

Easier for mechanics

« The differences are more inside » of the aircraft only outside, specifies Lieutenant Nicolas, a French engineering officer whom we interviewed under the wing of the German C130. “ There are cultural differences, of course. But if I take the C-130 for example, it's the same type of plane, the same documentation, so the way of working on the plane is the same. Then there are differences in the equipment that is brought on board. The objective is to be able to accommodate all types of aircraft ". For example, his French colleague Denis, " is a specialist Hercules mechanic. But that doesn't stop him from working on a Belgian or Dutch Hercules, or even the Czech Casa. The point is to be able to pool skills, to learn ».

Be ready to work together in operations

The goal is to " ensure, for example, that a mechanic on a Belgian C-130 is capable of repairing a French C-130 » attests General Valentin, commander of the EATC. This responds to concrete cases of recent months, in operation. « When you are going to deploy detachments, for example in Mali. You have around forty means of transport deployed. There are places where you have two nations collocated. Everyone plans as if they were alone (logistics), the stock of spare parts…”. EATT is therefore a first means of responding to these problems. “Everything you do here to ensure that we learn to work together is important. The next time we deploy the Belgians with the French in a theater with C-130s, we will ensure that where we deployed 20 + 20 people for example, we can deploy only 30 because in certain areas we will be able to share ". " Reduce the logistics footprint is always done with the aim of reducing expenses. When planes are sent in one corner of the world, it costs less if we pool staff and spare parts ».

With the A400M, a new logic of sharing

We may soon see a new joint exercise emerge. " With EATC we have projects with countries, training ground troops, how to repair planes etc… Projects exist. EATT serves as the ground to start all of this. » The arrival of the new Airbus A400M military transport plane could be a way of moving towards more cooperation. A new shared logic is being put in place. “ With the arrival of the A400M, pilots are training together. Mechanics train together. The school will be in Germany. There will be an acculturation through training " explains Lieutenant Josson. The training of ground teams and crews should therefore be more harmonized. However, it will be necessary to wait several years, the time for all the armies to "touch" their flagship aircraft...

Thomas LeBihan

Student in "Public Affairs European Governance course" at Paris I. Intern at B2. Follows the news of the European Parliament.