WIREDGOV

New MoD fighter support contract to employ 500

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE News Release (051/2009) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 4 March 2009

The RAF's advanced Typhoon fighter jet is to be maintained and supported by industry under an innovative partnering arrangement that will create up to 150 highly-skilled new jobs and sustain a further 350 at its peak, Minister for Defence Equipment & Support, Quentin Davies announced today.

The five-year £450M contract has been placed with BAE Systems for initial delivery and further development of the Typhoon Availability Service (TAS). This will be centred at RAF Coningsby, the main operating base for the Typhoon fleet, over the next few years, but also includes the BAE Systems sites at Warton and Samlesbury.

Minister for Defence Equipment & Support, Quentin Davies said:

"This is excellent news for both the MoD and UK industry with the creation of some 150 new jobs, mostly at RAF Coningsby, over the five-year term of this initial contract. The Typhoon programme directly employs some 16,000 aerospace and engineering staff in some of the UK's leading companies, and many more throughout the supply chain - this is important militarily and industrially to the UK.

"This contract will ensure the Typhoon fleet is able to meet its operational commitments and will continue to deliver as a world-class capability as the cornerstone of the UK's air defence capabilities. We are committed to building strong partnering arrangements with UK industry, in this case to get more efficient support for our front-line Typhoon fighter force."

The Typhoon Integrated Project Team Leader, Air Commodore Chris Bushell, said:

"Today's announcement is intended to maximise aircraft availability by using the most cost-effective solution. Typhoon has now been operational in the air defence role for well over a year and a multi-role capability was integrated and declared combat ready by the RAF in July 2008. The signature of the TAS contract builds on this success."

Notes to Editors:

1. The future support of the Typhoon aircraft is focussed around building partnering arrangements with BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce for both the aircraft and engines. TAS represents the culmination of the work undertaken with BAE Systems on support for the aircraft and its systems, excluding the engine.

2. TAS will play a major role in ensuring the availability of the Typhoon fleet to meet its standing and future operational commitments, drawing on best practice and lessons learnt on previous MoD and BAE Systems support arrangement contracts.

3. Overall management of TAS will be conducted jointly at RAF Coningsby by senior representatives of the MoD and BAE Systems. This management activity will be responsible for ensuring that the priorities of TAS are aligned with the requirements for aircraft availability.

4. TAS will initially be a five year contract, which is anticipated to be followed by a longer 10 year contract, drawing on the lessons learned and experience gained in the initial period. Currently over 200 BAE Systems employees work on the TAS contract across RAF Coningsby and the BAE Systems sites of Samlesbury and Warton. This will grow to 500 by the end of 2009.

VITAL STATISTICS (GENERAL TO ALL TYPHOON AIRCRAFT)

Powerplant
Two Eurojet EJ200 turbojets
Thrust: 20,000lbs each

Dimensions
Length: 15.96m
Wingspan: 11.09m
Height: 5.29m
Weight: 21 tonnes
Speed: Approx Mach 2
Ceiling: 55,000ft
Aircrew: One

Weapon Systems
Planned to include:
Missiles: Storm Shadow, Brimstone, Meteor, AMRAAM and ASRAAM
Bombs: Enhanced Paveway II, Paveway IV
Gun: Mauser 27mm