Safran Aircraft Engines officially inaugurated a training center for the maintenance of the M88 engine of the Dassault Rafale at Air Base 125 in Istres, southern France. The center is actually open since October when it hosted twelve mechanics of the Indian Air Force “which took delivery of its first Dassault Rafales several weeks ago”, recalls Safran Aircraft Engines. The M88 maintenance training center's capacity is a dozen trainees per session and “includes interactive educational tools such as virtual and augmented reality”. To carry out this project, “Safran Aircraft Engines benefited from the support of the French air force, the DGA's flight testing department, the Istres Air Base, the Istres defense infrastructure department and Dassault Aviation, which also has a facility at the base”.

“I am delighted to inaugurate this new training center, which further strengthens the long-standing partnerships we have established with our customers at Air Base 125”, noted Didier Desnoyer, Executive Vice President, Military Engines at Safran Aircraft Engines. “In line with the dynamic export performance of the Rafale fighter, this project allows us to continue offering our customers real world-class support.”

“Both the French air force and navy expect the M88-powered Rafale to stay in service beyond 2060”, pointed out Arvind Badrinath, from the DGA. “We therefore need to develop our support capabilities for the next 40 years, and we are counting on the synergies that will be developed between Safran Aircraft Engines' new training center in Istres and EPNER to support all Rafale users, both in France and abroad.”