The Nimrod Review - Official Documents

The Nimrod Review
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Recommendation 21.A.2: The Head of the MAA (the Regulator) shall be a full-time 3-Star appointment
and someone who is highly experienced and respected in the military air environment (and ideally has
a background in Airworthiness Regulation).
Recommendation 21.A.3: The Regulator shall be supported by co-located Technical and Operational
Airworthiness Regulators at 2-Star level, supported by specialist staffs.
Recommendation 21.A.4: The current RTSAs shall be folded into the MAA as a distinct regulatory function
with Service specialists employed to provide appropriate input on Service-specific environmental
requirements. The MAA will employ senior engineers with professional status holding Letters of
Airworthiness Authority (LOAA), and experienced operators, to undertake demonstrable independent
assessment for the initial release and supplementary changes to all Release to Service (RTS) issued for
specific platforms. ACAS and the other Service deputies will be relieved of this specialist regulatory
role.
Recommendation 21.A.5: The MAA shall facilitate and ensure a comprehensive, coherent, consistent
and meaningful assessment of Airworthiness in terms of Risk to Life across of all lines of development
in Defence, i.e. “to provide assurance that aircraft have been designed, constructed, maintained and
expected to be operated to approved standards and limitations by competent individuals who are acting
as members of an approved organisation and whose work is both certified as correct and accepted on
behalf of the MOD”. 11
Recommendation 21.A.6: The MAA shall have a status comparable to that afforded to the CAA, with
mutatis mutandis similar functions, oversight and authority performed on behalf of the Secretary of
State for Defence, and set appropriately in the military context.
Recommendation 21.A.7: The MAA shall have direct authority over the Equipment Authorities and
AOAs and with respect to all Airworthiness regulatory policy and compliance. 12
Recommendation 21.A.8: The MAA shall have authority to determine appropriate Defence Standards
and contractual requirements regarding Airworthiness with Industry and be given all concomitant
assurance and enforcement powers.
Recommendation 21.A.9: The MAA shall be given appropriate financial, manpower and estate resources
which shall be ring-fenced.
Recommendation 21.A.10: The MAA shall be located in a single geographic location entirely separate
from the Equipment and AOAs, in order to re-enforce its independent status and enable it to carry out
its remit to govern Airworthiness for the three Services in an objective and even-handed manner.
Recommendation 21.A.11: The MAA shall be responsible for devising, drafting and promulgating a
concise and logically structured regulatory documentation set based on the Australian Defence Force
and Defence Nuclear Safety management regulatory sets.
11 Operational Airworthiness in the Australian Defence Force – definition of Airworthiness.
12 This is similar to the arrangement employed by the Australian Defence Force and removes the perceived weakness of the current self-regulation
system by providing for independent and over-arching assessment and assurance by the MAA.