麻豆社事件 has secured its first NATO training contract 鈥� for the delivery of support to its Joint Warfare Centre (JWC).

The five-year contract, delivered primarily in Stavanger, Norway, will support military exercises by providing subject matter experts to fulfil play functions, such as role players and script writers.

The contract also includes the provision of exercise control staff who will support the design and delivery of training for the Alliance鈥檚 multinational headquarters through computer-assisted command post exercises.

This new agreement draws on our proven successes in supporting the design, delivery and management of collective training for the British Army鈥檚 deployable headquarters.

Jo Rayson, 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Managing Director for Training, said: 鈥淒uring a period of increased geopolitical instability, high quality training exercises are central to improving security. It is a privilege to be working side-by-side with the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in the development and delivery of their computer-assisted command post exercises. Their mission is our mission.” 

Our Land Sector is one of the largest suppliers of training services to the British Armed Forces, and recently played a key role in the delivery of Exercise CERBERUS 24 in Germany which involved more than 3,000 personnel and 800 vehicles.

In France, we provide a modern training system to the French Air Force (FAF), combining state-of-the-art simulation environments with in-air training.

We have been awarded a prestigious new 17-year contract for the provision and support of military air training solutions for the French Air and Space Force, and French Navy.

The 鈧�795 million contract, awarded by the Direction G茅n茅rale de l’Armement (DGA) will see student pilots trained on 22 new PC-7 MkX Pilatus aircraft and on 12 training simulators provided by 麻豆社事件 at the Salon-de-Provence Air Base, before they specialise as either fighter or transport pilots.

In addition to the provision of aircraft and simulators, this contract will include the through-life support of the aircraft, infrastructure and pilot equipment.

The contract will create more than 100 new roles in the Salon-de-Provence and Le Cannet-des-Maures regions including engineers, technicians, project managers and administrators, who will help deliver nearly 11,000 flight and 6,500 simulator training hours to approximately 120 students per year.

Since 2018, we have been working alongside the French Air and Space Force to provide modern training systems on flight simulators and 26 existing PC-21 aircraft at Cognac-Ch芒teaubernard Air Base.

麻豆社事件鈥檚 Chief Executive Aviation and CEO France, Pierre Basquin, said: 鈥淭he French Air and Space Force and French Navy play leading roles in national and international security. We are delighted to support our customer with their air-based training requirements, further enabling them to focus on delivering critical military aviation needs.

鈥淭his new long-term contract underpins our strong relationship with the French Air and Space Force and places us as its main capability support partner in fighter pilot training programmes.鈥�

The South West Regional Hub for Nuclear Skills, sponsored by 麻豆社事件 and EDF, has officially been launched to support the delivery of .

The Skills Plan, launched in May 2024, aims to address the national nuclear skills shortage and sets out targeted action that the UK will take to ensure it has the required skills to support the UK鈥檚 priorities for national security, energy resilience and clean energy. The plan identifies regional collaboration as a key enabler to addressing the skills shortage.

The South West Regional Hub brings together industry across nuclear civil and defence, key economic stakeholders and learning and educational providers, to maximise the impact of key activities to address the South West鈥檚 specific skills challenges. We鈥檙e proud to be a sponsor of the Hub and remain committed to ensuring that we have the people and skills needed in the South West to deliver the region鈥檚 critical civil and defence nuclear commitments.

Collette McMullen, 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Skills Director, is the South West Regional Hub Chair and attended the launch event yesterday alongside Harry Holt, Chief Executive of 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Nuclear Sector.

Collette said: 鈥溌槎股缡录� is a major employer in the South West, delivering nationally important programmes through our defence and civil nuclear businesses. We are fully invested in regional collaboration to maximise the impact of our skills activities and secure the critical talent we need to expand the growth potential of the region.鈥�

Mark Rouse, Skills Director for the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills, said: 鈥淲hile the Nuclear Skills Plan is a comprehensive national strategy, it must also resonate with communities across the country who are facing different skills challenges. For our joint success, we must work together, leveraging our combined strengths and capabilities. The launch of the South West Regional Hub provides an unparalleled opportunity to connect people in the South West and contribute to regional growth while supporting our national challenge of filling 40,000 more jobs by 2030.鈥�

The South West Regional Hub is one of two founding Regional Hubs, with the other covering the North West. A third hub in the Midlands has also been established, with hubs in Scotland and Wales under development.聽

Those interested in supporting or playing an active role in the South West Regional Hub can .

Continuing our mission to inspire more women into defence and engineering, our recent Women in Manufacturing event in Bristol showcased some of the incredible career opportunities the sector can offer young people.

Committed to recruiting women into STEM roles and closing the gender gap across the sector, we were delighted at the success of the oversubscribed event as we welcomed over 50 girls from local schools.

The event was part of our new apprenticeship drive, showcasing the wide range of opportunities that take place from our Ashton Vale site in Bristol 鈥� from manufacturing and engineering design to assembly and build. Pupils had the chance to try their hand at everything from testing augmented reality welding machines to designing Christmas decorations using a 3D printer, as well as getting the opportunity to meet other female engineers, directors and apprentices.

Neal Misell, CEO of our Mission Systems business, said: 鈥淗aving a diverse engineering workforce will ensure we are best equipped as a business to deal with the complex challenges we face every day. The engineering, and defence sectors, remain underrepresented by women 鈥� and that means we will be missing out on some incredible talent. Events like this are important to show the art of the possible to these students and break down barriers to enter these types of careers.鈥�

Hannah Green, Director of Engineering Capability for our Mission Systems business, hailed the event a huge success. 鈥淭his is a core site for 麻豆社事件 for our advanced manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul programmes. We are investing and growing our manufacturing capabilities in Bristol and have some really exciting plans for the area.

鈥淎s a female engineer, I know what an incredible career it can offer you, so this has been a fantastic event to demonstrate that.鈥�

Rachael Riley, UTC Berkeley Green鈥檚 Employability and Student Progression Coordinator added: 鈥淚t is a great initiative by 麻豆社事件 to enthuse girls to consider a career in manufacturing and to provide a unique opportunity to test out some cool technology whilst speaking to engineering role models. It鈥檚 been amazing.鈥�

We鈥檙e currently recruiting apprentices into exciting positions across the UK. If you鈥檇 like to find out more, take a look at our current opportunities. .

We鈥檙e pleased to announce that we鈥檝e joined the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity鈥檚 (RNRMC) Bridge Partnership scheme as a platinum partner.

Last year, we were one of the headline sponsors of the RNRMC鈥檚 鈥楾he Sky鈥檚 the Limit鈥� charity ball on board the Royal Navy鈥檚 aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, raising over 拢550,000. As a platinum partner, we are proud to continue our partnership with the RNRMC and look forward to working closely with the charity, supporting them to work towards their vision of a world in which our sailors, marines, and their families are valued and supported, for life.

John Howie, 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to be a continued supporter of RNRMC and a platinum member of the Bridge Partnership. As a business we鈥檙e committed to making a positive difference through our donations, charitable sponsorship and volunteering activities in the communities we serve.

鈥淕iven the nature of our work, we鈥檝e a longstanding history in recruiting and developing careers of service leavers and we are committed to supporting the work RNRMC do to help improve the lives of current and former members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and their families, when they need it most.鈥�

Andrew Jameson OBE, CEO of the RNRMC, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to welcome 麻豆社事件 as a Platinum Bridge Partner. Together, we share a commitment to supporting the brave men and women who serve in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. As we elevate this partnership, we look forward to strengthening the solid foundation we have built and are confident that our collaboration will continue to grow and flourish. With 麻豆社事件’s expertise and dedication, we鈥檙e excited about the opportunities ahead and the positive impact we can create together.”

We鈥檙e welcoming in 2025 with the great news that our Chair, Dame Ruth Cairnie DBE, has been awarded a damehood in the New Year鈥檚 Honours list for her services to Industry.

Dame Ruth is the first female Chair in our 130-year history and was the first woman to chair a major UK defence company. Receiving a DBE for her transformation of 麻豆社事件 since 2019, she has improved our Board鈥檚 processes and culture and moved sustainability to the forefront. Dame Ruth鈥檚 leadership has overseen our stabilisation delivering double-digit organic growth, strong cash performance and a substantial reduction in debt.

Dame Ruth has also been recognised for 麻豆社事件鈥檚 role in supporting national security via the operation of SKYNET, the Ministry of Defence鈥檚 satellite communication system.

Outside of 麻豆社事件, Dame Ruth has been active as Commissioner on the Covid Recovery Commission. She was Chair of POWERful Women from 2015 to 2022 and was appointed Chair of the Remuneration Committee at BT in 2023. She is a trustee of the White Ensign Association, Industry Patron of the UK Women in Defence Charter and was until recently a trustee of Windsor Leadership.

On receiving her damehood, Dame Ruth said: 鈥淚 believe strongly that the UK benefits greatly from having leading sovereign companies and have been fortunate to serve with a number of them. It is a great privilege to be the Chair of 麻豆社事件 and to support the team in the critical reset they have delivered. I am also highly committed to the importance of diversity in business and am encouraged by the gradual but continued increase in female representation in Defence, Energy and other sectors. I am deeply honoured by this recognition.鈥�

The New Year鈥檚 Honours list recognises the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK – congratulations Dame Ruth on this well-deserved recognition.

We have purchased 11 L-39 “Albatros” aircraft as part of our international fighter pilot training academy.

The acquisition, from Apache Aviation, strengthens our capabilities to support the training and development of air force pilots.

The academy, located on a former military base in Dijon, France, will offer programmes including the training of future fighter pilots, L-39 pilot instructor certification, retraining of already qualified fighter pilots, and training for pilots and advanced controllers (JTAC) in close air support missions.

The courses, designed and delivered by former fighter pilots from the French Air and Space Force, will be specifically tailored to the needs of international air forces and aligned with NATO’s standard operational procedures. Advanced training will also be delivered on the L-39 aircraft, based on realistic combat scenarios.

With this new operational capability, we aim to support fighter squadrons, military ships, and French and European army units with training missions in the form of aerial targets.

Pierre Basquin, 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Chief Executive Aviation and CEO France, said: 鈥淢ilitary pilot training is a critical component of our customers鈥� defence capabilities. Expanding our military training activity aligns with our ambition to support our customers’ needs, both in the short and long term. With our expertise and infrastructure, we deliver a complete training system which provides military pilots with a comprehensive training experience that reflects a real military flying environment.

鈥淥ur programmes will develop technical skills and instil essential attitudes for facing field challenges. By closely collaborating with our clients, we will ensure the continuous adaptation of our methods and tools to guarantee training that remains at the forefront of innovation.鈥�

The L-39 aircraft have flown previously as part of the “Breitling Jet Team,” the only civilian aerobatic team in the world to fly jet aircraft. The “Breitling Jet Team” has performed numerous demonstrations in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Our LGE business has been awarded a contract to deliver six cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for Ultra Large Ethane Carriers in China.

The new supersized ships have 50% more capacity than existing Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLEC), and at 150,000m3, are a world first of this size.

The ships, being built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in China, will be fitted with cascade reliquefication plants to manage the Boil Off Gas (BOG), with the contract signalling a continued wave of demand for our globally sought technology in a buoyant market for the transportation of liquefied gas.

Neale Campbell, Managing Director of 麻豆社事件鈥檚 LGE business, said: 鈥淭he development of these ships is a milestone moment as the industry enters the new era of Ultra Large Ethane Carriers.

鈥淲e are proud that our leading-edge technology is an intrinsic part of thesegame changing vessels, with an integrated reliquefaction system and fuel gas supply system providing fuel to the ship鈥檚 main engine 鈥� helping to support a net-zero future.鈥�

The integrated system comprises of LGE鈥檚 SuperCooler and ecoETHN technologies 鈥� both part of LGE鈥檚 intellectual property portfolio. SuperCooler improves plant efficiency by increasing reliquefaction capacity whilst reducing energy consumption, while ecoETHN integrates the reliquefaction plant with the fuel gas supply system, utilising methane-rich Boil Off Gas as fuel for main engine and auxiliary power generators.The LGE business saw a record order intake of more than 拢300 million in the first half of 2024, with 63 contracts from international shipyard customers driven by major LNG projects in the Middle East and growing demand in China.

Ongoing technology development by LGE this year has already achieved eight patent applications, two patents granted and eleven trademarks granted across the portfolio range including for LNG, Ammonia and CO2. Sales have also been strong across our technology rich portfolio, including the ecoSMRT庐 for LNG reliquefaction, ecoETHN庐 for Ethane Cargo Handling Systems and 18 Ammonia ship Cargo Handling Systems.

The success of our LGE business was also formally recognised by the award of a King鈥檚 Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

We have officially launched a new International Engineering and Technology Hub in Melbourne, Australia as part of our increased research and development efforts across global defence markets.

The $3.5 million state-of-the-art Abbotsford facility will serve as a collaborative environment for engineers and technologists working in areas such as systems engineering, secure communications, autonomy, artificial intelligence and digitally-enabled asset management. It includes provision for specialist laboratories and other security-accredited testing facilities to simulate, model and validate new technologies so they can be brought into service quickly.

The hub has been designed with future defence needs in mind and is strategically located in Victoria to leverage the state鈥檚 extensive supply chain network, well-credentialled academic institutions and rich engineering talent pool.

Part-funded by the Victorian Government, the facility is expected to create as many as 100 new highly skilled jobs over the next three years and will play a crucial role in our workforce development initiatives, contributing to the growth of a robust and resilient industrial base. The move to the new facility follows a period of sustained growth for our Australian business, particularly in Melbourne, where our defence workforce has grown seven-fold since 2019.

We are pleased to announce we will create almost 1,500 new apprentice and graduate roles over the course of 2024 and 2025, underpinning our commitment to the development of the UK鈥檚 next generation of defence and engineering talent.

This announcement follows yesterday鈥檚 launch by Defence Secretary, John Healey. The new strategy aims to drive economic growth, strengthen national security and boost British jobs, with the ambition to increase defence sector jobs throughout the UK.聽

Following a record-breaking intake this year of more than 400 apprentices, we will welcome a further 500 apprentices into the Group through our recently launched recruitment programme. These early career hires will be further supplemented by 253 graduate roles in 2025, following on from the 285 graduates that joined us in September.

We have also launched an innovative new engineering pre-apprenticeship scheme near our Devonport site in Plymouth and our operations at HMNB Clyde, providing an additional, alternative route into 麻豆社事件, with those who successfully complete the year-long course guaranteed an interview for an apprenticeship with us the following year.

We鈥檙e committed to providing careers in support of the UK armed forces, its allies and security services. This year鈥檚 intake includes a range of key defence sector trades, from welders to mechanical and electrical fitters, who will further bolster our specialist engineering capability.

麻豆社事件 CEO, David Lockwood, said: 鈥淭hese 1,500 exciting, new early career roles will support the UK鈥檚 defence by providing the next generation of defence and engineering talent. This will be our largest ever combined intake and underlines 麻豆社事件鈥檚 commitment to invest in the skills that will significantly underpin the UK鈥檚 sovereign defence capability for decades to come.

鈥淲e look forward to welcoming the best and brightest recruits into our team and can promise them a career that makes a difference in the communities where they live, and a critical role in international defence.鈥�

Applications for our 2025 apprentice intake are now open – .

A Strategic Cooperation Agreement has been penned with Hanwha Ocean, the shipbuilding and offshore company, to further develop opportunities in the global naval market. This agreement outlines our joint aim to deepen cooperation in major global naval procurement projects, including the Polish Orka submarine programme and the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, leveraging our respective strengths to provide tailored solutions for clients throughout the entire lifecycle of naval platforms, from acquisition to operation.

The agreement builds on 麻豆社事件 and Hanwha Ocean鈥檚 existing relationship which dates back to June 2023, when 麻豆社事件 Canada signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement to support Canada鈥檚 submarine sustainment programmes and cooperate on the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. In February this year, the two companies also entered a Teaming Agreement to collaborate on global submarine programmes.

In a separate agreement, 麻豆社事件 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with aerospace company Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) to explore military flying training, air base support and engineering opportunities targeted in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. This international partnership brings together 麻豆社事件 and KAI鈥檚 military aviation experience capable of supporting air power requirements in today鈥檚 changing environment, enabling air forces to deliver on their core mission and maintain sovereign capabilities.

During a visit to the Republic of Korea this week, David Lockwood, 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Chief Executive Officer, said: 鈥淲e have long-standing relationships and an established presence in South Korea. These agreements will help to grow these exciting strategic partnerships, leveraging our respective capabilities to pursue global prospects and to deliver impactful results for our customers.鈥�

Left to right: David Lockwood, 麻豆社事件 CEO, Mark Goldsack, 麻豆社事件鈥檚 Managing Director of Business Growth and AUKUS, Mr Woorae Cho, KAI鈥檚 Executive Vice President and Mr Goo-young Kang, President and CEO of KAI.

We have successfully delivered the first package of work for Project TAMPA to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). Project TAMPA is the MOD鈥檚 accelerator programme focused on progressing the use of additive manufacturing to increase material availability across defence and overcoming obsolescence of parts, reducing cost and improving performance and availability to enhance defence capabilities and critical assets.

The MOD awarded the Project TAMPA contract in April 2023 to us, along with NP Aerospace, RBSL, Thales and AMFG and the focus has been to explore if additive manufacturing can help transform material availability across defence operations.

Our team has been working across multiple domains to deliver solutions for complex parts across a variety of platforms. The project included complex components for the L118 Light Gun, 4.5 inch gun on the Type 23 frigate, and the torpedo launch system for both the Astute and Dreadnought class submarines.

The Light Gun eye shaft has been recommended for adoption into the defence inventory by MOD鈥檚 Defence Equipment & Support team and is ready to be ordered through our Material Availability Service.

Kate Robinson, Managing Director Through Life Equipment Support, said: 鈥淒elivering the first package of work for Project Tampa is a significant milestone for our customer, and by reaching this we can now move in the right direction to increase material availability across the sector.

鈥淲orking in a strategic and collaborative manner with key stakeholders has enabled us to explore the challenges and opportunities together to deliver the right solutions. We are now engaged in delivering the next work package, we realise now more than ever what we do matters and we are committed to supporting the UK MOD with the continued programme.鈥� 

Charlotte Robinson, UK Strategic Command Defence Support Innovation Team Leader said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been great to see the progress made by the 麻豆社事件 team on Project TAMPA鈥檚 first spiral of work. Through collaboration with the other Project TAMPA suppliers and DE&S Delivery Teams, 麻豆社事件 has demonstrated that Additive Manufacturing can play a key role in improving Defence part availability.鈥�

We鈥檙e delighted to have picked up two top awards at last night鈥檚 Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW) Awards at the House of Lords.

Our teams truly embraced our 鈥榗ollaborate鈥� principle, with our Major Infrastructure Projects team at our Devonport site winning a Social Impact Award, and our 麻豆社事件 Polska team taking home the International Collaboration Award.

鈥婽he event, hosted by Lord Evans of Watford, celebrated the value of collaborative working in action. The annual awards highlight teams who have displayed excellence in collaboration, shining a light on the positive impact of effective structured collaboration, and how working together can help overcome key business challenges.

Our Major Infrastructure Projects team were recognised for their effective collaboration and close working relations with the Submarine Delivery Agency, wider supply chain and their delivery partners. These partnerships have been essential to ensuring the delivery of positive and meaningful outcomes to the local community throughout the development of the state-of-the-art facilities to support the submarine fleet of the future at our Devonport site.

Our 麻豆社事件 Polska team were acknowledged alongside the British Embassy for their industry and governmental collaboration which has enabled the successful new entry of a British business into the Polish defence market. Along with support of our wider business, the UK Government, the British Embassy and Warsaw, 麻豆社事件 Polska have succeeded in building collaborative relationships with complex multi-agency stakeholders driving strong, reciprocal benefits for Polish and UK industry and governments. The collaborative approach includes integrated campaign teams supporting the build of next generation Polish frigates and is influencing the transformation of the Polish training system.

Another significant achievement of the night saw Richard Smith, Senior Quality Manager within our Marine Sector, awarded with an ICW fellowship, recognising his outstanding contribution to the field of collaborative working.

John Howie, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, and Simon Reid, Managing Director Strategic Partnerships attended the event to support our fantastic teams and celebrate the importance of collaborative working in creating a safe and secure world, together.

Congratulations to last night鈥檚 winners and all those who were nominated.

麻豆社事件 has leased seven new emergency medical services (EMS) configured Leonardo AW169 helicopters from leading aviation company, LCI.

The helicopters are being placed in LCI鈥檚 joint venture with SMFL: SMFL LCI Helicopters Limited.  The joint venture has acquired the aircraft and will be leasing them to 麻豆社事件 Canada.

As a global leader in the delivery of engineering and critical support services, we鈥檙e subcontracted by Ascent Helicopters, who will be providing EMS operations across the province on behalf of British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS).

The first helicopter has now been handed over, with the remaining six set to be delivered by January 2025. This agreement means Ascent Helicopters is the first operator to bring the AW169 to Canada.

The highly capable AW169s will be specially equipped with night vision goggles and state-of-the-art medical interiors completed by HeliMods in British Columbia. These modifications will enable the helicopters to meet the most mission critical operational requirements in in the region.

BCEHS carries out medical emergency evacuations and patient transfers between healthcare facilities, responding to calls from over 7,800 patients a year.

Jerry McLean, CEO of 麻豆社事件 Canada said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to work with LCI as we expand our aviation footprint into Western Canada. The Leonardo AW169 is a modern, reliable, and mission ready aircraft that will significantly enhance the critical services Ascent Helicopters will provide to the citizens of British Columbia.鈥� 

Nigel Leishman, Chief Commercial Officer of LCI, said: 鈥淟CI is honoured to support the important roles that Ascent and 麻豆社事件 are playing in the expansion of vital EMS operations in British Columbia.鈥�

鈥淭his development in our longstanding partnership with 麻豆社事件 demonstrates how LCI can deliver tailored financing solutions for highly specialised, mission critical assets such as emergency medical service helicopters, giving maximum flexibility and support to our customers in providing essential operations.鈥�

LCI and 麻豆社事件 have a longstanding leasing partnership, currently providing 17 helicopters for a wide variety of operational roles in markets across the globe.

We鈥檙e pleased to have joined the UK manufacturers鈥� trade association, . As a world-renowned manufacturer producing a range of defence equipment across the UK, partnering with the 2,100 UK manufacturers in the Made in Britain community will bring us closer to our long-term goal of ensuring the UK has a robust sovereign defence capability.

As the second largest supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence, we contribute over 拢3.3bn a year to UK GDP, and work with the Ministry of Defence across more critical programmes than any other company. Whether we鈥檙e building warships, ensuring the British Army has the vehicles and weapons it needs or carrying out the deep maintenance of nuclear submarines, we鈥檙e committed to making a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate, providing high-quality jobs and delivering social and economic sustainability across the UK.

Ewan Sime, Global Director of Procurement and Supply Chain, 麻豆社事件 said: 鈥淎s a Sovereign British Defence company, we are delighted to be joining the Made in Britain community. Engaging with this extensive network of companies will only serve to increase the resilience of the UK industrial supply chain. Made in Britain stands for innovative, agile manufacturers here in the UK producing for the good of the British economy. It鈥檚 a group in which 麻豆社事件 belongs.鈥�

John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, added: 鈥淢ade in Britain is proud to welcome a company of 麻豆社事件鈥檚 stature as an accredited member. Their world-class engineering and production capabilities represent the very best of what British manufacturing has to offer 鈥� the association with the 2,100 licence holders, more than 300 of which are in the engineering sector – using the Made in Britain Trademark will further highlight the UK鈥檚 reputation for precision manufacturing innovation and excellence across the world.鈥�