Lockheed Martin UK awarded Scout SV turret contract
Courtesy General Dynamics
The contract to design, manufacture, integrate and test all 245 turrets will sustain 880 jobs at Lockheed Martin’s Ampthill site in Bedfordshire. A number of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) across the UK who are involved in the supply chain to deliver the turret will also benefit from the production contract.
It follows the announcement in September that the UK Ministry of Defence is to buy SCOUT SV’s to provide essential armoured vehicle capability for the British Army.
Lockheed Martin’s technology leading turret solution will deliver significant improvements in combat capability, survivability and operational effectiveness for the infantry.
Stephen Ball, Chief Executive Lockheed Martin UK said: “This contract reflects the significant investment we have made in our workforce in Ampthill and clearly demonstrates our ability to play a key role in the design and development of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the future. The award not only sustains a significant number of highly skilled manufacturing jobs at our Ampthill site but will also greatly benefit our UK supply chain partners with whom we will work to deliver this modern, leading edge capability.”
Alan Lines, Managing Director at Lockheed Martin’s Ampthill site said: “This contract is testament to the skills of our Ampthill workforce and its supply chain partners. It provides a platform for other potential contracts for armoured vehicles programmes in the UK and export markets.”
SCOUT SV represents the first variant in the future of Armoured Fighting Vehicles for the British Army, providing best-in-class protection and survivability, reliability and mobility and all-weather intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities. Its range of six variants will allow the British Army to conduct sustained, expeditionary, full-spectrum and network-enabled operations with a reduced logistics footprint. SCOUT SV can operate in combined-arms and multinational situations across a wide-range of future operating environments.
The first prototype turrets will be delivered to General Dynamics UK for assembly onto the SCOUT SV hull in 2015 ahead of the first vehicles being handed over to the Army in 2017.
Lockheed Martin UK, headquartered in London, is the UK-based arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation, a global security and aerospace company. Lockheed Martin UK specialises in the development, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The company employs more than 3,000 people in the UK across 21 sites, working on a wide range of major programmes spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.
