'Vital to local prosperity': StandardAero hails £879m helicopter maintenance contract securing Gosport jobs

The largest employer in Gosport has praised a vital helicopter maintenance contract which secures hundreds of jobs.

StandardAero in Fleetlands will continue to work with Boeing on Apache and Chinook helicopters for the next three years. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) agreed an £879m three-year-deal securing 150 local roles at Boeing, in addition to the 300 at StandardAero’s Fareham Road site.

Managing director Simon Jones said: “Continuing our collaboration with Boeing Defence to deliver the Chinook UK depth maintenance service to the RAF is a great testament to our highly skilled technicians and the dedicated teams we have within our Rotary business.

“As Gosport’s largest employer, the jobs this contract supports are vital to local prosperity and given our communities rich heritage of supporting military aviation, it’s fitting that Fleetlands continues to deliver as the experts in military helicopter MRO.”

The contract brings together support for both fleets under a single arrangement – the Rotary Wing Enterprise – for the first time. It’s hoped the agreement will improve how the aircraft are maintained and reduce duplication. StandardAero’s Gosport operation will be supported by its component repair site in Perth, Scotland. The firm’s technicians deliver fly-in and fly-out maintenance, which includes inspections, fully stripping down of the aircraft, rectification, rebuilds, and test flights.

Minister of defence readiness and industry, Luke Pollard, said the deal where civilian workers support these helicopters - which he described as the “best in the world” - will be more efficient for the taxpayer while allowing for more investment in skills.

Speaking of StandardAero’s contribution, he added: “There is some amazing work being done by people in support of these helicopters. I don’t think people in the supply chain get the thanks they deserve for the work they do. We would not be able to fly these helicopters without the dedication and professionalism of the people in uniform, and the civilians who support them.”

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The Apache AH-64E aircraft can use its radar to passively geolocate threats without giving away its position. It has the ability to detect more than 1,000 targets, classify 256 of them, and the prioritise the top 16 in seconds.

Chinooks are designed to operate in diverse environments, from the Arctic to vast deserts. It’s primarily used to transport troops, evacuate casualties, and conduct resupply operations.

The contract extension supports roughly 700 jobs in Boeing as a whole, with other locations including Middle Wallop, Odiham, Wattisham, Bristol, Yeovil, and Almondbank. A total of 500 roles will be maintained in the supply chain.

Managing director Thom Breckenridge said: “Boeing Defence UK has a proud legacy of delivering sustainment, maintenance, training, and integration services for the UK armed forces. e are honoured to deepen our support for the UK’s Apache and Chinook fleets through the Rotary Wing Enterprise programme.”