The Royal Navy's submarine-hunting Merlin helicopters will
receive world-class maintenance under a £165 million contract
extension, supporting 1,000 skilled UK jobs.
The agreement supports the government's Plan for Change by
bolstering national security and boosting the economy, with the
Ministry of Defence ensuring the defence sector is an engine for
growth in every nation and region of the UK.
It will sustain 200 jobs at Leonardo's helicopters facility in
Yeovil, Somerset, and 800 more across the wider UK supply chain,
and covers the fleet of 30 Merlin Mk2 maritime patrol helicopters
and 24 Merlin Mk4 amphibious and battlefield lift aircraft.
The deal contributes to the Government's commitment to secure
Britain's future through the Plan for Change, which is delivering
security and renewal by kick-starting economic growth to put more
money in working people's pockets.
The Mk2 helicopters are submarine hunters and can also carry out
search and rescue operations, intercept drug runners and pirates,
and support humanitarian relief efforts.
Armed with Sting-Ray Torpedoes and M3M .50 calibre machine guns,
the Mk2 helicopters provide the Royal Navy with anti-submarine
and anti-surface support.
They also use powerful radars high above the Navy's carrier
strike groups for airborne surveillance and control. The Mk4
fleet provides troop transport, casualty evacuation and can carry
medium lift loads of up to 3.8 tonnes.
These versatile aircraft were recently deployed on Operation
CLOCKWORK in Norway, which involved the training of Commando
Helicopter Force air and ground crew, and will participate in the
upcoming Carrier Strike Group (CSG25) deployment.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon
MP, said:
“Our fleet of world-class Merlin helicopters provide the Royal
Navy with a vital advantage over our adversaries, keeping our
carrier strike groups safe and enhancing their battle-winning
capability.
“This investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to
maintaining cutting-edge defence capabilities that keep us safe,
while utilising defence as an engine for economic growth,
supporting 1,000 well-paid jobs across the UK.”
As well as jobs based in Somerset, the agreement will support
jobs at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall.
The UK defence sector underpins our national resilience and is a
vital engine for growth, supporting 434,000 jobs across the
country. Today's news follows the announcement of the largest
sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, as the
government will hit 2.5% of GDP spend by April 2027, and has a
commitment to hit 3% in the next Parliament.
Leonardo is the prime contractor for the expert maintenance, with
Lockheed Martin and SERCO appointed as key sub-contractors.
Nigel Colman, Managing Director, Leonardo Helicopters UK,
said:
“We're extremely proud to have provided the UK's AW101 Merlin
fleet from the Home of British Helicopters in Yeovil.
“Working closely with the Ministry of Defence and Royal Navy,
we're keeping the Merlin fleet supported and available, so it's
ready to fly whenever and wherever it's called upon.
“At the same time, we're looking towards how Merlin will be
supported the in years to come under the Rotary Wing Enterprise
(RWE) agreement, which will transform how support will be
delivered across the whole UK rotary fleet.”
