At the start of last month, the Aeronautics Industrial Service [SIAé] announced that its Bordeaux workshop [AIA] had officially begun the "maintenance activities" for the Turbomeca TM-307B turbocharger, which is used in the 1,500 horsepower Diesel V8X-1500 Hyperbar engine of the Leclerc tank. This development came despite the Ministry of the Armed Forces having struggled to secure 4 million euros several years earlier to maintain the industrial chain for this high-pressure turbocharger. A parliamentary report published in 2020 had warned that short-term savings could lead to much higher long-term costs. The TM-307B is crucial because it helps the engine perform better by feeding compressed air into its cylinders. This enhances the acceleration of the 60-ton Leclerc tank and serves as an auxiliary power unit when the main engine is turned off, according to SIAé. The Bordeaux AIA has proven to be highly effective, having already returned two TM-307B units to the Army after completing "deep industrial maintenance" at the NTI3 level (which refers to technical intervention level 3). The General Directorate of Armaments [DGA] announced this on October 2, stating that the turbochargers had been restored to their original performance, as confirmed by tests. It added that the completion of the reindustrialization work for NTI3-level maintenance of the Leclerc tank's turbochargers marks the beginning of a production phase, with a target of 25 turbochargers per year. The DGA explained its decision to choose a structure within the Ministry of the Armed Forces—the SIAé—to handle the industrial maintenance of these turbochargers. In 2023, as part of the Leclerc tank's renovation (standard XLR), the DGA tasked KNDS France and Safran Helicopter Engines (formerly Turbomeca) with conducting an "industrial reindustrialization study" of the NTI3-level maintenance for the TM-307B. It also asked the Bordeaux AIA to "monitor the work and prepare to maintain this equipment in operational condition." Based on these studies, the DGA concluded that it was more cost-effective to entrust the maintenance of the turbochargers to the SIAé, with Safran Helicopter Engines as a subcontractor. The early delivery of two TM-307B units, completed ahead of schedule, confirms the ministry's decision to strengthen the industrial capacity to maintain these turbochargers, ensuring their availability at a controlled cost and within expected deadlines. The DGA has now transferred responsibility for continuing this contract to the Integrated Structure for the maintenance of land equipment in operational condition.