But what exactly needs to be with each squadron (specific to the Rafale) at each base?
Nirjara gave a decent answer on the continuous evaluation process.
I'll add that a bench exists, the one for dry testing the M-88 after a fix.
From strict to loose :
On deployment, landing gear and wheels, engines and ejection seat are maintained in-house.
Plus weaponry of course! The rest or a major bug with one of those equates to exchange parts.
At a base, more engine care and lots more parts plus a reserve of parts,
including ones from immobilized ACs. Since all Rafales are the same,
you can switch and swap and plug and play all systems say radar or OSF.
Except for Bs versus Cs, French squadrons have a local engineering and
maintenance department that does all planes. When morning comes, pick
any that is available and use it.
On a bigger base, this way of maintenance is actually shared by many sqdns.
Then, you had a shipping/sales rep. dept that gets the spares in and out.
The OSF and engine makers can send parts, modules and systems directly.
Dassault is only concerned with structural work where you need to touch the
whole cell which frees its plant for production and R&D.
So say a FADEC goes boink
* : Take it off, send it to shipping, replace it with
any from your pool, test and replace the engine. The maker picks it up, choo-
ses the way to fix it and returns it to base.
And on top of that structure, the AdlA has a SIAé, Aeronautic Industrial Ser-
vice that can do all the work between that of the bases and that of the makers.
http://www.defense.gouv.fr/air/activites/maintenance-aeronautique/maintenance-aeronautique
It works pretty darn well! Tay.
* ( Well, it does go boink exactly, the onboard monitoring signals wear and if it goes over a limit
or starts sending in-flight reports, you remove it. )
