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6 Apr 2009 08:00
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NP Aerospace andΒ Force Protection inΒ UKΒ joint venture
New company awarded Wolfhound contract byΒ UKΒ MoD, 50 new jobs created
NP AerospaceΒ Limited, a subsidiary ofΒ The Morgan Crucible Company plc,Β and Force Protection, Inc.Β today announced the establishment of aΒ 50:50Β joint venture company in the United Kingdom,Β Integrated Survivability Technologies Limited (IST). ISTΒ has been awarded the contract for the Wolfhound Tactical SupportΒ VehicleΒ byΒ the UKΒ Ministry of Defence. TheΒ Β£84MΒ contractΒ involves the supply ofΒ 97 heavy tactical support vehiclesΒ to be supplied over the next 12 monthsΒ based on the combat proven Cougar design.Β The development will create 50 new jobs within NP Aerospace and the supplier base.Β
NP Aerospace andΒ Force ProtectionΒ haveΒ alreadyΒ worked together significantly to supplyΒ mine resistant ambush protectedΒ vehicles to the UK MoD,Β which to date has ordered a total of 447Β Mastiff 6x6 and Ridgback 4x4. Both areΒ based on the Force Protection CougarΒ vehicleΒ andΒ CoventryΒ based NP Aerospace carriesΒ out the integration and armouring work. These vehiclesΒ areΒ in service inΒ IraqΒ andΒ Afghanistan. UK MoD hasΒ also orderedΒ 14 Force Protection Buffalo route clearance vehicles.Β
The establishment of IST marks a significant new chapter in the partnership betweenΒ NP Aerospace andΒ Force Protection.Β It isΒ IST's aim toΒ becomeΒ a single point of contact and Design Authority for all existing and future businessΒ related to the Cougar andΒ BuffaloΒ based vehiclesΒ in theΒ United Kingdom. Β
Mark Robertshaw, Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Crucible said "This is a further exciting development for the NP Aerospace business, securing a long term strategic relationship with Force Protection and providing our customer with a truly integrated product offering. I am confident that this contract, which will provide NP Aerospace itself with revenue of in excess of Β£30 million, will be the start of a very successful future for our joint venture."
Michael Moody, Force Protection Chief Executive OfficerΒ andΒ Chairman of IST, said, "Much like the Wolfhound vehicle requirement, Force ProtectionΒ andΒ NP AerospaceΒ have come a long way in a very short time. We have establishedΒ aΒ partnership in theΒ United KingdomΒ that we believe will become the base for growing our relationship with the UK Ministry of Defence. One of the key elements in our success is the way we work with our strategic partners and this proven formula is now being applied to theΒ UKΒ market. We are confident that it will bring benefitsΒ most importantly to theΒ UKΒ forces operating in hostile environments around the globe."
MikeΒ Linton, Managing Director ofΒ ISTΒ and previouslyΒ ManufacturingΒ Director of NP Aerospace,Β said, "Force Protection and NP Aerospace haveΒ been working successfully to bring these vitally important vehicles into theatre. Our new, integrated operation here in theΒ UKΒ will bring tangible benefits in terms ofΒ anΒ enhanced ability to tailor our vehicle solutions to customer needs. A direct commercial relationship with the companies working on the integration of Force Protection vehiclesΒ will also result in more efficient development and production programmes, saving the customer both time and money."
He continued, "IST will combine prime contractor andΒ DesignΒ Authority functions, which will enable MoD to place the appropriate delivery and support risks with industry. As theΒ DesignΒ Authority for theΒ UKΒ fleet of Cougar variants, IST can also take a coherent approach to issues such as electronics architecture, human factors interfaces, antennae solutions and power management systems, together with integration of theΒ MoD'sΒ Defence Lines of Development. We shall also be ideally placed to provide a coherent support solution strategy forΒ allΒ UKΒ variants of theΒ Cougar, taking advantage, where appropriate, of initiatives being explored in theΒ USΒ fleet."
ENDS
About The Morgan Crucible Company plc
The Morgan Crucible Company plc is an advanced materialsΒ technology company that provides highly engineered solutions to its chosen markets. MorganΒ CrucibleΒ has a global spread with manufacturing operations in more than 50 countries. From medical instruments, aerospace, power generation and satellite communications to body armour, trains and fire protection systems: Morgan Crucible's materials, technical and insulating ceramics and carbon, are fundamental components of many of the modern world's sophisticated products.
About NP Aerospace
NP Aerospace is a composite technical moulding and vehicle integration business that develops, manufactures and markets ballistic protective and other composite products in the defence and civil sectors. It is based inΒ Coventry,Β UKΒ with approximately 300 employees and has a strong position in theΒ UKΒ with the Ministry of Defence. NP Aerospace has a high degree of experience and expertise in armour systems for military vehicle protection and has been responsible for integrating a significant number of vehicle systems, including Mastiff, used by the British Army. In addition, NP Aerospace enjoys unique areas of application know-how in products such as personal body armour, military helmets, explosive ordnance suits and protective kits for a wide range of vehicles.
About Force Protection, Inc.Β
Force Protection, Inc. is a leading American designer, developer and manufacturer of survivability solutions, predominantly ballistic- and blast-protected wheeled vehicles currently deployed by theΒ U.S.Β military and its allies to support armed forces and security personnel in conflict zones. Force Protection's specialty vehicles, the Cougar, theΒ BuffaloΒ and the Cheetah, are designed specifically for reconnaissance and urban operations and to protect their occupants from landmines, hostile fire, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs, commonly referred to as roadside bombs). Force Protection also is the developer and manufacturer of ForceArmorβ’ an armor package providing superior protection against explosively formed projectiles (EFPs), now available for a wide range of tactical-wheeled vehicles. Force Protection is one of the original developers and primary providersΒ of vehicles for theΒ U.S.Β military's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicle program. For more information about Force Protection and its vehicles, visit www.forceprotection.net.Β
About Integrated Survivability Technologies Limited
Integrated Survivability Technologies, Limited (IST) is a joint venture of Force Protection Advanced Solutions and NP Aerospace and is aΒ United KingdomΒ company.Β Β The company has opened new offices inΒ BristolΒ and also has an office inΒ Coventry.
For further enquiries:
The Morgan Crucible Company plc: Mark Robertshaw/Kevin Dangerfield 01753 837000
Finsbury: Mike Smith/Robin Walker 020 7251 3801
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