UK Investing £120M in Defence Air Power

The United Kingdom is investing almost £120 million in the country’s Defence Air Power with two contracts focused on maintaining battle proven aircraft and training the next generation of fast jet pilots, according to Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.

The contracts will help the RAF to continue to perform at its best by improving training for fast jet pilots and making sure the Hercules C-130J aircraft can continue to support the UK’s Armed Forces around the world, Fallon said.

The first contract, worth £110 million, is with British company Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. It will replace the centre wing box for the RAF’s Hercules C-130J aircraft, extending the Hercules C-130J aircraft’s out of service date to 2035, and ensuring this aircraft can continue to transport personnel and equipment around the world.

The second deal is a £9.5 million contract with QinetiQ to provide Typhoon pilots with the latest cockpit technology to prepare them for front line combat. This technical update will give Typhoon crews based at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby the ability to link to the Air Battlespace Training Centre at RAF Waddington and 10 weeks of simulated battle training a year in the latest cockpit and simulated training in battlefield situations in which training facilitators can develop scenarios, provide mission management support and post mission debriefs, ensuring the crews will be best prepared for deployment.