BAE systems wins £300m MoD contract to support Hawk aircraft
Defence firm BAE systems has landed a £300m government contract to provide in-service support for military training aircraft, the Ministry of Defence said today.
The five-year contract includes design advice and managing modifications on Hawk aircraft, which are used to by the UK armed forces to train pilots before they fly frontline planes such as Typhoons.
The ministry said that the deal will secure 675 jobs at BAE and its maintenance partner Babcock International.
The company will be basing its support service headquarters at RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales.
Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Procurement, said: "Pilots currently flying Typhoons are Tornados with such precision targeting Daesh in Iraq and Syria to keep Britain safe first learnt their skills in the Hawk.
"The contracts to support these vital training aircraft are a boost to British industry, sustaining hundreds of jobs across the UK – all made possible by our growing Defence budget and our £178bn investment in buying and maintaining the best possible kit for our armed forces."
Rolls-Royce received a £79bn contract to support and maintain the 'Adour' engines that power the Hawk aircraft engines.
The testing and repairs of the engines will take place at RAF Valley and in Filton, Bristol, providing 40 jobs across both sites.