Military

Harrier Team Wins £34 Million Support Package Contract

18 Jun 2007 | Ref. 191/2007

RAF Cottesmore, United Kingdom. - BAE Systems has been awarded a £34 million-plus contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide supply chain support for new Harrier GR9 avionics equipment until 2014.

The Harrier Component Support Package (HCSP) contract not only provides the MoD with a service for the support of seven major pieces of avionics equipment but also the continued supply of more than 4,000 other components at significant savings compared to current arrangements.

The HCSP solution builds on the existing Mech 1A Lite contract - a ten-year availability service for the provision of Harrier component spares and repairs - and will expand the BAE Systems on-base presence at RAF Cottesmore to cope with the increased activity.

BAE Systems Harrier availability director Iain Gault said: "This contract award is a significant milestone in moving towards the through-life Harrier Platform Availability Contract (HPAC). It reflects the principles set out in the UK Defence Industrial Strategy and has also demonstrated BAE Systems' ability to provide affordable solutions around United States-sourced equipment and new GR9 avionics equipment. The award of HCSP also puts in place critical arrangements needed to support the deployment of Harrier GR9s on operations in Afghanistan.”

Capt Paul Bishop RN, the MoD’s Harrier in-service support project manager, said: “This contract will make a significant contribution to ensure the ongoing success of the Harrier on operations and in the UK. It also takes us closer to the long-term goal of availability contracting at the platform level.”

The HCSP contract has already started with the aim of ensuring that there is no break in continuity of supply to the customer.

About BAE Systems:
BAE Systems is a global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 88,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £13.7 billion pounds sterling (US25.4 billion dollars) in 2006.

For further information, please contact:
John Neilson, BAE Systems
Tel: + 44 (0) 1252 384795 Mob: + 44 (0)7802 337704
john.neilson@baesystems.com

Debbie Szeto, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 1772 855558 Mob: +44 (0) 7793 422003
Debbie.szeto @baesystems.com