More Good News21 Mar 2007 10:07
VT GROUP PLC 21 March 2007
VT GROUP NAMED PREFERRED BIDDER FOR £40 MILLION SEARCH AND RESCUE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
Support service and shipbuilding company VT Group has been selected by
AgustaWestland as preferred bidder for the role, valued at approximately £40
million, of providing maintenance support to the fleet of Sea King helicopters
used by the RAF and Royal Navy for Search and Rescue (SAR) duties around the UK
coast and in the Falkland Islands.
The front line maintenance activities will involve over 200 current military
posts being outsourced to VT Support Services at seven RAF locations in the UK
and Falkland Islands, and the RN SAR detachment at HMS Gannet (Prestwick).
The programme will be run over an initial period of five years, with a contract
expected to be finalised in November this year ready for operations to commence
in April 2008.
VT Group Chief Executive Paul Lester commented: 'Following our selection as
preferred bidder for the UK Military Flying Training System, this latest award
will further boost our presence in the aerospace sector and will strengthen VT's
position as a leading provider of support for both fixed and rotary wing
aircraft'.
The move into the SAR sector also positions VT to bid for the harmonised
SAR-Helicopter contract which will replace the UK SAR helicopter fleet under a
PFI/PPP deal, due to start in 2012.