Defence’s contribution to the UK economy was on show today as
Defence Minister visited the south west to
hear how Ministry of Defence (MOD) research and industrial
partnerships are supporting UK jobs, exports, and capability.
Mrs Baldwin visited Yeovil today to mark a year of the innovative
Strategic Partnering Arrangement between Leonardo Helicopters and
the MOD. The Arrangement was signed in July 2016 and
lays out shared commitments to cost effectiveness, jobs, and
exports, recognising the key role both parties play in building
national prosperity through exports, sustaining employment and
specialist skills, and supporting small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) in the supply chain.
Over the course of a year, the MOD has placed millions of pounds
worth of contracts with Leonardo, supporting hundreds of jobs,
boosting exports, and driving technological innovation. In
January 2017 the MOD signed a £271 million five-year deal with
Leonardo to support the UK’s world-leading Wildcat helicopters,
safeguarding hundreds of UK jobs. Most recently, in June 2017,
the MOD announced a £260 million contract to supply the UK’s
Armed Forces with the next generation of secure Identify Friend
or Foe technology. The work will sustain around 150 jobs at
Leonardo’s sites in Luton, the West of England, Edinburgh and
across the wider UK supply chain.
Minister for Defence Procurement added:
“Our Strategic Partnering Arrangement with Leonardo is a
fantastic example of the contribution that Defence makes to the
UK economy: creating hundreds of jobs, attracting millions in
investment, and boosting UK exports across the world.
“Backed by our rising defence budget and strategic
engagement on exports, we are determined
to deliver the high-wage, high-skills jobs
of the future, making the UK one of the
most competitive places in the world to innovate, build business
and help deliver security.”
During her visit, Mrs Baldwin was briefed on the progress being
made on the second phase of a jointly-funded £8 million Rotary
Wing Unmanned Air System (RWUAS) concept demonstrator;
cross-Government efforts to support the export of the Wildcat
AW159 and Merlin AW101 helicopters; and company plans for
continuous improvement and to underpin design engineering
capabilities that are vital to ensuring safety and airworthiness.
Leonardo Helicopters make a significant contribution to the
economy in the South West and developing plans would see the site
in Yeovil become the heart of an aerospace technology centre. The
MOD anticipates spending some £3 billion with Leonardo
Helicopters over the coming decade, with work on the future
coordination of strategic exports between the UK Government and
Italy being led by the Department for International Trade.
