Portsmouth munitions base bags £6.4m contract to build new RAF missiles
SPECIALISTS from a munitions factory in Portsmouth have been assigned to a critical role in building a new missile system for the RAF as part of a £6.4m defence contract.
BAE Systems has been awarded the contract to help build components for the Brimstone tank-busting missile.
The work, contracted by arms company MBDA, will be spread across two of BAE’s factories – including the Broad Oak facility in Airport Service Road, Copnor.
The city-based team will help produce the missile’s receiver assemblies, piecing together state-of-the-art electronic systems for the weapon.
The contract will help to secure 450 jobs at the facility, which specialises in building torpedos for the Royal Navy, and at BAE’s Hillend site, in Dunfermline, Fife.
Dr Brooke Hoskins, director of products and training services for BAE Systems’ maritime services division, said: ‘Being awarded this contract is testament to the expertise of our end to end microwave electronic capability and high volume automated assembly facility.
‘Our continued support to the programme, builds on our previous efforts in the integration of the Brimstone air-to-surface weapon for the Royal Air Force Typhoon squadrons.
‘The team is proven in delivering high-quality, affordable products including radar decoy systems for warships, air launched anti-armour missiles and more recently the next generation of radar for the RAF Eurofighter Typhoons.’