YEOVIL NEWS: MP welcomes more good news for Leonardo Helicopters

YEOVIL MP Marcus Fysh has welcomed a £269m Ministry of Defence deal that safeguards 60 more jobs in the town’s helicopter industry.

Leonardo Helicopters will support the manufacturing of a new cutting-edge helicopter-borne surveillance system designed to protect Royal Navy ships, including the new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers.

Mr Fysh, speaking on Monday (January 16, 2017), said: “Just last week, our Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin signed a deal that will protect 400 local jobs. Her announcement today will protect 60 more jobs in Yeovil which is great news for our town.

“I will continue to work closely with staff at Leonardo, the Government and other key players to find innovative and commercially viable ways to secure Yeovil’s place at the heart of the aerospace industry and protect jobs for our highly-skilled workforce. This news is evidence of my commitment to getting the best deal for Yeovil.”

The new Crowsnest system will act as the eyes and ears for the Royal Navy’s ships, providing long range air, maritime and land detection and tracking capability.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil (previously known as AgustaWestland).

Lockheed Martin, as the prime contractor for Crowsnest, will integrate the selected Thales solution on to the Merlin Mk2 helicopter fleets. This work will be supported by Leonardo Helicopters, who will modify the fleet to fit Crowsnest. The contract also includes £9 million for initial provisioning of spares to support the Crowsnest system during training and operational deployment.

Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said: “Crowsnest will provide a vital intelligence, surveillance and tracking system for our new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, capable of detecting any potential threats at sea.

“Backed by our rising Defence budget, and our £178 billion equipment plan, Crowsnest will help keep our Armed Forces safe as they deploy in every ocean around the world for decades to come.”