BAE SYSTEMS Nimrod support group delivers early
17 Jun 2001
BAE Systems has delivered the first four Nimrod MR2s serviced under a new prime contract arrangement back to the Royal Air Force on or ahead of programme. Two aircraft were on major and the other two on minor star services.
The Customer Solutions & Support MR2 project team won the 5.5 million 18-month contract in June last year and have been working with Flight Refuelling Aviation (FRA) Services to undertake major and minor star Servicing at RAF Kinloss against a fixed monthly fee.
Key to the programme’s success has been the partnership with FRA Services and the integration of the logistics and technical support activities into the Nimrod Support Group Operation at Kinloss. Previously BAE Systems had no direct contact with the maintenance organisation in terms of spares supply and technical support - it was managed through strong contractual ‘silos’. This philosophy has now been changed to one where achievement of the delivery date is paramount. Working together the teams have demonstrably improved the delivery of spares and applied revised processes to how technical/repair support is provided to the maintenance tracks.
The customer is extremely satisfied at the progress made in the short time BAE Systems has held this contract. Nimrod Equipment Support Integrated Project Team Leader Dave Heatherington commented: ‘BAE Systems ‘have demonstrated real progress in aircraft maintenance at RAF Kinloss.’
The team is now working closely with the Defence Logistics Organisation’s Nimrod ES IPT to develop this initial contract into a follow-on contract which will integrate current design and spares contracts into a single arrangement for the remaining life of the Nimrod MR2.
The support arrangements being pioneered under this contract are already providing a model for support of other in-service platforms under Customer Solutions & Support’s Integrated Platform Support programme. The team has also been working very closely with the new MRA4 aircraft team under a joint MRA4/MR2 Transition Strategy Steering Group to develop integrated support transition strategies and concepts based around this success and to ensure the support strategies for the two aircraft are aligned.
Notes to Editors:
* Major and minor star servicing is third line deep aircraft maintenance. A minor star takes eight weeks to complete and a major takes 31 weeks. These are broadly equivalent to C and D checks in the civil market.
* Flight Refuelling Aviation (FRA) Services is a subsidiary of FR Aviation. Previously they were the prime contractor for Nimrod maintenance from 1995 to 2000. They are now acting as a sub contractor to BAE Systems for the Nimrod Support Group Contract. Under this sub-contract they undertake the deep strip and servicing activity at RAF Kinloss Nimrod Support Group.
* Integrated Platform Support is the term used to describe the tailored Contractor Logistics Support package we offer to the MoD for supporting the current in-service aircraft. The IPS package is built around a partnered support approach with joint ownership of the support process by the MoD and BAE Systems. In-service aircraft which are candidates for an IPS solution include Tornado, Harrier, Hawk, Jaguar, VC10 and Nimrod 2/R.
* The IPS package consists of the following elements which are tailored to provide the most appropriate and cost-effective support for each type of aircraft type:
o Fleet management
o On-aircraft operation, maintenance and upgrade (including all levels of maintenance)
o Integrated Technical Support Services
o Off-aircraft lean support chain (both lean supply and component maintenance, repair and overhaul)
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