The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £1.5 billion ($2.4 billion) contract to a joint NATS and Thales UK team to provide upgraded air traffic management capability over a 22-year period.
Under Project Marshall, the MoD sought modernisation of about 100 of its domestic and international air traffic management installations, including some 60 airfields and ranges. The Aquila joint venture will begin provision on 1 April 2015.
“Aquila will deliver a system-wide modernisation and rationalisation of the current fragmented system, and establish a flexible ATM service – one that complies with known regulatory requirements and which is future-proofed to meet any potential change in the regulatory and technological landscape,” the Aquila consortium said in a news release.
The contract will support military air traffic controller operations, plus the delivery of new equipment, system upgrades, maintenance, support services and training.
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Aquila will introduce four new traffic management hubs, allowing services to be centralised. Overseas airfields, Royal Navy air stations and the more isolated UK airfields and ranges will continue to operate on a stand-alone basis but with a modernised approach and visual control rooms, according to Aquila.
Also to be delivered are three sets of fixed deployable and five sets of tactical man-portable ATC systems.
Maintenance services will be delivered through a regional support model. Six UK regions – Gibraltar, Wattisham, Middle Wallop, Netheravon, Barkston Heath and Woodvale – will be supported by a 24/7 technical service desk at NATS’ control centre in Hampshire.
The MoD expects the Aquila solution to save the government about £1 billion ($1.6 billion) over the period of the contract, according to the consortium.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
