External equipment servicing companies

Ans Blix

Hi all, long time no see

I was in the RDF and PDF (for a short while) a few years back, i left all that and went to college.

I have work placement next semester as part of year 3 of my degree. I am wondering if the Defence Forces have any external companies maintaining some of their more sensitive equipment, night vision, optics, radios etc or is it all done in house? I can't see the engineers doing a lot of that work...

My degree is in Physics and Instrumentation... so a lot of instrumentation and calibration work.

Let me know if anyone has any ideas

Midnight Oil

Ans Blix wrote: »

I can't see the engineers doing a lot of that work...

You are right, a different corps does.

Ans Blix

Midnight Oil wrote: »

You are right, a different corps does.

Soooo.... what corp?

Stovepipe

A lot of the radio work is done in-house by Signals techs or it goes back to the manufacturer, or a manufacturer's rep will be brought in to deal with it. Same with optics, electronics, avionics,etc. Often, it's too specialised for little more than basic testing or teardown, especially at small unit level so it goes back under warranty. The DF Stores system makes a point of pursuing warranties actively.

regards
Stovepipe

Midnight Oil

Ans Blix wrote: »

Soooo.... what corp?

You were in the RDF and the PDF and you do not know what corps performs what function?

Okay:
Anything ordnance : Ordnance Corps
Anything CIS : CIS Corps
Anything engineering : Engineer Corps
Anything transport : TVM Corps

Do you see where this is going?

Stovepipe

@midnight oil, you're missing the point. He wants to know who services what, especially from a civvie point of view. The DF does not service a lot of it's own specialist equipment. When I was in the Don in 84 to 95, a lot of our gear went back to the manufacturer, via the supplier and more so as time passes. A lot of the time, especially with very mechanical equipment, we did it ourselves but these days, a lot of kit is effectively under warranty and is sealed and goes back to the manufacturer if there's anything more than a basic snag. The old days of pulling things to bits and spending days trying to revive them is gone. It's all line-replaceable units and letting the tech rep take the hit. For example, if we have a unit fail when fitted, it's immediately sent back to it's origin and a replacement fitted and the manufacturer takes the financial hit to fix it and ship it.

regards
Stovepipe

PS: to the OP, if you're an Instrument tech, have a look at the oil and gas industry for work.

DipStick McSwindler

This post has been deleted.

Midnight Oil

Stovepipe, you are right and wrong.

first and second line maintenance is still conducted at Bde level. Third line maintenance is conducted in the relevant corps base workshops. Anything beyond that is as you describe. Overseas, theatre dependent, 3rd line may be conducted as well. Therefore technicians are all trained to a standard to be able to do any of the jobs to a higher level than a student on work placement (no offence OP). All technicians are now trained to very high standards, often incorporating level 7 degrees into their training.
as you correctly point out, the days of wasting a technician for a week to strip, diagnose, repair and reassemble a component are few and far between. Parts are now modularised, that is standard throughout manufacturing processes nowadays as companies strive to provide a leagile approach to their manufacturing processes.

Ans Blix

So the likes of ITT or Thales Communications for SINCGARS work etc...? pfft, bit of a trek...

ok, thanks for the help

Stovepipe

If you want to find out who supplies the PDF with equipment, then your work placement will help you. Every supplier to the DF has an Irish agent or a local rep and they used to keep master lists of suppliers, which was readily available plus the stores people would know the reps by name, so you could make it your business to meet and greet and get your name out there.

regards
Stovepipe