Rolls-Royce awarded £258 million UK helicopter support contract

Rolls-Royce has been awarded a £258 million contract by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide engine support to the UK’s Sea King helicopter fleet.

The 10-year full availability-based agreement is the first of its type for helicopter engines between Rolls-Royce and the MOD and offers a guaranteed 24/7 delivery of engines for the fleet. It covers all marks of Gnome engines that power the 96 Sea Kings in service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, including the UK’s search and rescue fleet.

Under the terms of the contract Rolls-Royce will undertake all aspects of engine support, including the provision of replacement engines to meet customer demands, and technical support both at operating locations and from the Rolls-Royce Operations Centre in Bristol. The contract will be managed from the company’s Bristol site and the Yeovilton air base, with the main repair and overhaul work undertaken at Rolls-Royce facilities in Ansty and Germany.

Commenting on the contract Martin Fausset, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace, said: “We recognise that both the MOD and Rolls-Royce teams have worked hard to conclude this important contract. With the innovative techniques that Rolls-Royce brings to engine support we can now provide the front line customer a higher level of availability for operations at a guaranteed price.”

Pete Worrall, Director General Helicopters in the MOD’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organisation, said: “This innovative contract offers quantifiable benefits in both financial and availability terms for the Sea King fleet. We look forward to continued close working with Rolls-Royce to deliver a reliable product to the front line”