We support military organisations around the world to develop and operate new regulatory regimes that meet the emerging challenges of the 21st century
For more than a decade we have acted as trusted safety partners to European military regulatory organisations including the UK’s Military Aviation Authority (MAA) and the European Defence Agency (EDA). Our experience and expertise in safety management is helping to shape the future aviation safety of the military air operations of the Royal Navy, the British Army, the Royal Air Force (RAF), and Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) of the UK Armed Forces.
One of the lasting legacies that emerged from the loss of Nimrod MR2 aircraft XV230 in Afghanistan in 2006 was the creation of the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) and the subsequent overhaul of military airworthiness regulation in the UK.
Following the publication of the Nimrod Review by Mr Justice Haddon-Cave in 2009, the MAA has focused not only on consolidating previously dispersed aviation regulations into one set of publications (the MRPs) and ensuring that they are adhered to, but also on committing to advancing the regulations so that they continue to align with the civilian EASA model.
The introduction of the CAMO construct (through MRP Part M) into the military domain was one of the first recommendations of the MAA. However, while core principles are translatable across military/civilian boundaries, it nonetheless remains the case that the circumstances in which the aircraft are operated are distinctly different and the infrastructure present to support defence CAMO activities is different from those of civilian Operators. This presents challenges to all who have to interface with the regulations, from military units through to the contractors who are charged with CAMO as well as maintenance responsibilities.
The state of flux these changes generate and the challenges the UK military and their contractors need to overcome must also be viewed against a backdrop of European harmonisation initiatives driven through the efforts of the European Defence Agency (EDA).
With the introduction of EMARs, we have begun to witness regulatory thinking advancing towards a less prescriptive approach, paralleling EASA’s intention to create a performance-based environment and performance-based oversight. Understanding and preparing for these changes must be imperative for any operator or contractor who wants to rest assured that they are doing their best to satisfy their regulators and, ultimately, protect their people and aircraft from harm.
Our extensive experience in working with defence organisations, the military and agencies such as the MAA and EDA makes us ideally placed to assist individuals and organisations become skilled in applying the intent of the regulation. By understanding the regulations and applying them intelligently, a constructive approach to compliance can be achieved that does not compromise operational targets. Rather, over time, it should add value to operations through assisting in reducing rework, greater aircraft availability and generally safer operations.
Our defence aviation regulations expertise relates to the following military airworthiness regulations:
