DERA investment expected to cut costs of UK research

THE UK DEFENCE Research Agency (DRA) has moved into the first part of its £71 million ($110 million) research site, construction of which has reached the half-way stage.

The DRA, a division of the UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) Defence Evaluation & Research Agency (DERA), took possession of the Aerodynamics and Propulsion building in September.

The development will consist of 15 buildings, including a Structural Materials Centre, Operational Studies, Flight Systems and Weapons. It is scheduled for completion in September 1996. The project is the largest single contract in the DRA's £230 million rationalisation programme.

Dr David Tyte, director rationalisation at DERA, says that the agency is "looking very hard" at winning more contracts from the civil sector.

"We are helping the MoD to maintain facilities they couldn't otherwise afford," says Tyte. "The more civil activity that we can get in the less it costs the MoD to maintain them," he adds.

Source: Flight International