Originally Posted by
SASless
What percentage of parts are common between the NG and other Commercial variants and the P-8?
Civilian Operators might prove to be a handy place to grab some parts in an emergency!
Airlines have a pool system where they share spares, I dont think the RAF takes part in this but even those not taking part they can possibly 'rent' the spares for a fee. One of the problems the RAF would have is that the vast majority of any spares from the commercial sector would either have to come from Glasgow or London. This would take time to transport especially as there are no scheduled flights to Kinloss.
Another issue is that would any commercial company want to loan spares to the RAF if the aircraft are not being maintained under EASA or FAA legislation - sending spares 'outside' of the EASA/FAA system could prove problematic from an ongoing paperwork trail.