£63 Million to Support Protected Mobility Fleet
Coventry-based NP Aerospace has won a £63 million (€70 million) contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to maintain, modernise and upgrade over 2,200 British Army protected mobility vehicles in the UK and on operations overseas.
The contract will support approximately 100 jobs in Coventry and 250 jobs across the UK supply chain until 2024. A further 50 jobs will be created at NP Aerospace’s HQ in Foleshill.
“Armoured vehicles save lives on the battlefield and this contract will ensure they are repaired, upgraded and returned to the frontline as quickly as possible […] This vital contract demonstrates how the MoD benefits every region of the UK by providing hundreds of skilled jobs and multi-million-pound investment to the West Midlands,” commented Minister for Defence Procurement, Stuart Andrew.
As an example, under this contract, a request could be made by Army personnel in Afghanistan to fit a new loudspeaker to a FOXHOUND patrol vehicle. NP Aerospace will rapidly design, procure and fit the equipment, as well as providing technical advice throughout the contract period. Other protected mobility vehicles to benefit from the contract include MASTIFF, WOLFHOUND, RIDGEBACK, RODET, JACKAL, COYOTE and HUSKY, all of which are currently being used for either training or operations in the UK and overseas.
“The Protected Mobility fleet has been hugely important for defence over the last 15 years, saving numerous lives on operations. It is vital that we continue to invest in our battle-winning capabilities, ensuring that they are always ready for training or operational purposes,” stated Director Land Equipment at Defence Equipment & Support, Maj-Gen Colin McClean.
