UK MoD extends NP Aerospace vehicle contract
Above:
PMETS vehicles.
Courtesy NP Aerospace
The £63 million contract covering more than 2,000 vehicles was awarded to NP Aerospace, global armour manufacturer and vehicle integrator via a competitive tender in March 2019. Since then, as Engineering Authority for the fleet, and in partnership with vehicle OEMs and industry partners, NP Aerospace has worked on over 140 individual tasks that maintain, sustain and upgrade the vehicle fleet for use on operations.
According to David Petheram, Managing Director & Senior Vice President, NP Aerospace Vehicle Systems, Services & Spares, PMETS tasks range in scale and complexity from lighting systems, software enhancements and communication system upgrades, through to full scale re-engineering programmes. He said: “Through PMETS we have introduced significant innovations into the fleet such as the Mastiff and Ridgback XC offroad platforms and hybrid demonstrator projects – both of which improve overall capabilities and operational vehicle performance. Working closely with industry partners, NP Aerospace is able to maximise through life capability and introduce new innovations that benefit the Armed Forces.”
NP Aerospace has worked on MoD vehicles for over 20 years, leading complex integrations. The platforms covered under the PMETS contract include Mastiff, Wolfhound, Ridgback, Buffalo, Choker, Foxhound, Jackal, Coyote and RODET. Key partners include Atkins, HORIBA-Mira and ITS, vehicle OEMs General Dynamics and Supacat and a variety of technology partners. The prime contracting model with NP Aerospace as engineering authority is fully scalable and can be applied to other platform types and global markets.
The PMETS contract is estimated to have generated in excess of 200 jobs in the UK supply chain, with the team at NP Aerospace providing oversight of all deliverables and managing all activities on the contracts, utilising highly experienced staff in a unique way across the variety of vehicles in the fleet.
