Photo: MoD
Vigilance can report that The UK’s first A400M Atlas has been named “City of Bristol” by the Royal Air Force in a rare honour to highlight the important role that industry in the city has played in the delivery of the aircraft.
The wings of the next-generation military transporter plane were designed and manufactured at the Airbus factory in Filton, Bristol, with a number of other businesses in the city, including Rolls-Royce, GKN Aerospace, and Atkins, demonstrating a range of high quality aerospace skills which support the A400M programme.
A total of 22 A400M Atlas aircraft have been ordered by the Ministry of Defence’s procurement arm, Defence, Equipment and Support (DE&S), which is also based in the city at Abbey Wood.
The naming of the aircraft is a special privilege for Bristol, since it is unusual for the RAF to name an individual aircraft in this way.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Airbus site to mark the event, Defence Minister Philip Dunne said: “The A400M programme has created or secured work for around 900 people at companies based here in Bristol and is providing skilled jobs in manufacturing, engineering and supply chain roles. Many of these jobs require training to acquire specialist new skills needed to help keep the UK aerospace sector at the forefront of this high technology industry.
“The MOD is playing its part in contributing to our long-term economic plan and this A400M programme will become an important contributor to the defence supply chain, here in Bristol, for years to come”
To mark the honour, the “City of Bristol” A400M Atlas recently completed a fly-past of the Clifton Suspension Bridge which also served as a reminder of the engineering history of the city.
Chief of Materiel Air, Air Marshal Simon Bollom said: “The naming of the Royal Air Force’s first A400M aircraft as City of Bristol reflects a continuation of historical ties between Bristol and the Royal Air Force. Bristol is at the heart of the UK aerospace community which has progressed through time and industry from the Bristol built engines like Jupiter - the most successful aero engine of the 1920s - through to the famous jets such as Concorde.
“This tradition continues with state of the art work being carried out at Airbus’s Filton site on wings for the A400M, supported by complex work packages from GKN, Rolls-Royce and Atkins and this rare naming honour is recognition for the long and entrenched affiliation between the City of Bristol and British aviation.“
Manufactured by Airbus Defence & Space the A400M Atlas will replace the existing fleet of C-130 Hercules and represents major advances on its predecessor, with it capable of flying considerably faster, twice as far and able to carry almost twice as much cargo.
BOEING FLYING HIGH AFTER SIGNING ARMED FORCES COVENANT
Also, BOEING Defence UK has become one of the largest companies to pledge their support to the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
Boeing are the latest of more than three hundred companies to have signed up; pledging a range of support measures for the Armed Forces community.
Boeing Defence UK have pledged to:
Support the employment of veterans and Armed Forces families;
Support employees who choose to become members of the Reserve Forces;
Give special consideration to holiday requests from service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment.
Minister for Reserves, Julian Brazier MP said: “Our Armed Forces community deserve the best possible support; and it is excellent to see that one of the UK’s largest Defence companies signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant, in recognition of the tremendous contribution they make to society.
“Service men and women have a wealth of skills and leadership qualities, and by backing and encouraging our personnel and their families, Boeing will undoubtedly see the huge benefits they can bring to the company.”
David Pitchforth, Managing Director of Boeing Defence UK Ltd., said: “A large proportion of Boeing’s global workforce comes from military backgrounds and many of them are active reservists. In the UK, we proactively recruit through the Officers Association and the Career Transition Partnership because we fully recognise the real value and wealth of transferable skills and experience that the military brings.
“The signature of this covenant is not only testimony to our commitment to our employees but it also reinforces our commitment to our customers and the UK Armed Forces as a whole.”
ROYAL NAVY PARTNERS WITH DERBY’S UTC TO BOOST ENGINEERING
DERBY has become the latest UK city to join an innovative Royal Navy scheme to develop engineering and technical skills in its students. The city’s University Training College (UTC) has joined an exclusive group of colleges across the country affiliated to the Royal Navy. Five are now in the scheme and several more are in the pipeline.
The long-term aim of the scheme is to help address the nationwide shortage of engineers. The students get to work on exciting projects designed by Royal Navy engineers, visit naval facilities, and gain careers advice. In turn the Royal Navy will be able raise the profile of many of its current exciting engineering projects. The potential UTCs are selected because of their strong links with local industry or because they are close to naval bases and establishments.
Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne MP, said: “These courses provide our young people with transferable and future-proof skills. Derby’s local company is the world-renowned Rolls-Royce, where the UTC already works with the Aerospace Division.
“This new Royal Navy affiliation will develop a nuclear curriculum, working with Rolls-Royce Submarines Division to give students the opportunity to work across a broad range of projects to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.”
The four other UTCs are in Plymouth; Bristol; South Wilts, in Salisbury, and Energy Coast Workington, in Cumbria. Several others across the country are in the pipeline.
The initiative is endorsed by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, who said he wanted to encourage more youngsters to be ‘part of the engine room powering our national success,’
The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas said: “A national transport manufacturing hub, powerfully spanning the civil and defence sectors, Derby is of strategic importance to our Nation’s engineering base. I am therefore delighted that the technology-fuelled, 21st century Royal Navy is affiliated to Derby Manufacturing UTC.
“The talented young people educated and trained at this forward-looking College will go on to make a valuable contribution, not just to manufacturing in Derby and the East Midlands, but to the UK’s national growth and performance in leading edge technology.”
Capt Andy Cree, the Royal Navy officer who is leading the UTC project, said: “The Royal Navy aims to support the development of young engineers in the UK, to increase the quality and quantity of technically able young people.”
The potential UTCs are selected because of their strong links with local industry or because they are close to naval bases and establishments. Derby UTC also has affiliations with Toyota and Bombardier.