Madrid, 10 February 2023 (AESA)

The State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) and the Directorate-General for Armaments and Materials (DGAM) of the Ministry of Defence have extended the scope of collaboration under the Protocol for the coordination of both entities in the field of production supervision of aircraft with a civil type certificate and civil/military use with the signing of two Annexes to that Protocol which lay down, respectively, criteria regarding the responsibility for the supervision and registration of aircraft according to civilian or military use and the supervision of production organisations granted by AESA and DGAM to the same Organisation.

The purpose of these Annexes is to facilitate and improve coordination to ensure that the manufacturing process of aircraft with type certificates issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), intended for military customers, or for the manufacture of components intended for modifications of such aircraft approved by EASA, is carried out in accordance with the terms of the approvals as a production organisation granted by AESA or by the Directorate-General for Armaments and Materials.

It also seeks to ensure the correct airworthiness of prototype aircraft of production organisations, which are used, alternatively, in research and development work in the civil and military fields.

To this end, both bodies will continue to exchange information on non-conformities, observations, opportunities for improvement and any other matters relating to aircraft production, for the sole purpose of better monitoring to enable the continuous improvement of the quality and safety of the aircraft produced. As well as, on the planning of continuous monitoring activities that both parties carry out on the approvals they have granted to production organisations.