France Signs Rafale Service Contract with DassaultFrance Signs Rafale Service Contract with Dassault
By pierre tran
Published: 12 Dec 13:51 EST (18:51 GMT)
PARIS - The French military aviation maintenance agency SIMMAD has signed a 10-year contract for an undisclosed amount with Dassault Aviation for the aircraft company to provide maintenance for the 120 Rafale aircraft ordered to date for the Air Force and Navy, Dassault said in a Dec. 12 statement.
"The state's targets for fleet operational availability and reduction of Rafale maintenance costs have been satisfied, thanks to a global, long-term maintenance contract based on payment per flying hour," Dassault said in the statement.
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Under the deal, the company committed to ensure the cost of flying hours would decline over the period.
The "Rafale Care" contract covers all the aircraft functions except the engine, radar, countermeasures and weapon systems.
Dassault CEO Charles Edelstenne has said the cost of a flight hour on the twin-engine Rafale was about 15 percent more than the single-engine Mirage 2000, a Dassault spokesman said.
An Air Force spokesman said no figures were available for the cost of flight hours on the Mirage or Rafale. The cost calculation was complicated by variables such as the profile of each mission flown.
Source
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3862028&c=AIR&s=TOP
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