STEWART PENNEY / ST ATHAN
UK Ministry of Defence agency looks to widen customer base as it faces competition from OEMs for work
The UK's Defence Aircraft Repair Agency (DARA) has held talks with manufacturers likely to offer aircraft for the Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme with a view to assembling and later supporting the aircraft in the UK.
DARA is a Ministry of Defence agency responsible for maintenance, repair and overhaul on the majority of the UK's military aircraft. In future DARA will have to bid for MoD work and is facing increased competition from the original equipment manufacturers (OEM), which increasingly see repair and overhaul services as a means of boosting their businesses.
Another issue facing DARA is the smaller UK military aircraft fleet, and the increased reliability of modern systems, says DARA chief executive Steve Hill. "DARA has to maintain its existing customer base and get into wider markets," he adds.
Hill says that the organisation is seeking partnerships and has held talks with Italy's Aermacchi and Switzerland's Pilatus, as well as contributing to a Rand Corporation study which is reviewing the potential for a UK-based Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production line. Aermacchi would offer the M346 advanced jet trainer, while Pilatus would offer the PC-21 turboprop-powered basic trainer for MFTS.
Final assembly has been offered as part of the industrial offset proposals in a number of competitions. The work is also considered a good way of developing a deep maintenance capability.
DARA deputy chief executive/commercial director Ron Jones says: "We would be delighted to do the build… we have talked to manufacturers, it is a logical extension of our existing capabilities."
The organisation has sites around the UK and is headquartered at St Athan near Cardiff in south Wales, where it provides deep maintenance for the Royal Air Force's fast jet fleets, including the BAE Systems Hawk T1 trainer, and BAC VC10 tanker/transport fleet.
DARA is bidding against industry to retain the Hawk maintenance work. Hill says the DARA bid is "innovative" and is also low-risk because of the organisation's experience with the type, which has included the fitting of new mid- and rear fuselage sections as part of a life extension programme.
Hill says DARA could expand the range of military aircraft it maintains, with the Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules transports candidates, but it is also interested in developing commercial aircraft repair and overhaul.
Source: Flight International
