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MOD awards 70M Harrier support contract to BAE SYSTEMS

17 Dec 2002

BAE Systems has been awarded a post design services contract valued at some 70m by the UK MOD to provide in-service support to the Joint Force Harrier fleet.

The contract, signed between the MOD's Defence Logistics Organisation and BAE Systems Customer Solutions & Support business, breaks with tradition by covering the next 10 years of support to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Harrier aircraft. The initial contract award covers the sustaining elements for the first 3 years, and is worth over 10m.

The contract has been constructed in a unique modular way to allow swift response to emerging requirements during its life, such as changing defence needs. It anticipates the reducing support needs for the current Royal Navy aircraft and the emerging requirements as GR9 & T12 variants enter service with both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

The Harrier Integrated Project Team Leader, Air Commodore Charles Ness said: 'This represents a breakthrough in providing a level of flexibility in our support arrangements that enables them to evolve as we move towards an integrated support solution for the Harrier.'

'The contract demonstrates the partnered, more streamlined approach that the DLO and industry are increasingly taking on support activity,' said BAE Systems' Harrier post design services manager Glyn Culham.

BAE Systems will now respond to in-service requests for support generated via a new structured requirements management tool and subsequently track them using an electronic management database system.

The contract award emphasises the increasing importance DLO and BAE Systems is placing on long-term support solutions in the defence and aerospace sectors. In this case the strategy should provide significant cost savings by eliminating any need to enter into drawn-out re-negotiations every few years and paves the way for industry to take an increasing role in providing a total support package.
Notes to Editors

The Defence Logistics Organisation and BAE Systems Customer Solutions & Support are working closely together to streamline support of military equipment.

Product-specific programmes are underpinned by work to develop common tri-service supply chain, logistics and information technology solutions - such as the trilogi technical information browser.

Recent aircraft successes include the Nimrod Integrated Support Contract awarded in October. This is a 75m spares-inclusive power-by-the-hour maintenance arrangement under which BAE Systems Customer Solutions & Support guarantees availability levels for the current Nimrod MR2 fleet at its RAF Kinloss main operating base. The joint industry/DLO Harrier Future Integrated Support (FIST) team are developing an equivalent, but larger-scale and more comprehensive support solution for the Joint Force Harrier fleet.

Three contracts to streamline Tornado support have also been signed in 2001/2, totaling over 150m.