Issue 9 Jan 2009.indd - Ministry of Defence

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8 news Working at the coal face? Take the offi ce with you! ENGINEERS REPAIRING and maintaining kit on the front line are to benefit from field machine shops which will be supplied later this year Forty-four will be delivered to Royal Marines, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and RAF mechanical and electrical staff. Each unit is based on a standard 20ft ISO container and will be deployed wherever engineering support is needed. The Deployable Machine Shop (DMS) will be supplied by Marshall SV of Cambridge in a deal with DE&S’ Courses taking on a more academic rigour DEFENCE ACQUISITION Learning (DaLearning) is adapting its approach to training to make its courses of greater use to all MOD staff. DaLearning – part of the Defence College of Management and Technology – is improving the academic rigour of its courses and offering delegates the opportunity to achieve professionally recognised qualifi cations. For example the system safety suite of courses has received recognition from the University of York. Successful students now receive credits towards the relevant modular Masters degree run by the university. DCMT’s Dr Sinnathamby Vijayakumar said: “Delegates prefer recognition for their training. Many courses now offer a nationally recognised qualifi cation achieved by examination and the System Safety and Requirement Management courses are an excellent example of this.” Deployable Support and Test Equipment (DS&TE) team worth £5.58 million for initial contract let. The DMS will enable engineers to carry out front line support milling, turning and finishing mechanical parts and provide space for testing and repair of electrical equipment and servicing of complex equipment now in service. Nick Blackmore, the team’s project manager for DMS, said: “Considering Single Gate Business Case approval was only signed in October, and given the additional internal MOD work required to transfer the Latest Paveway bomb blasts into service HIGH PRAISE has been given to the stakeholder community as the latest precision guided bomb enters service. Paveway IV, which can hit targets day or night and in all weathers, will be fitted to the Harrier GR9, Tornado GR4, Typhoons and, eventually, the Joint Strike Fighter. DE&S’ Captain Howard Holdsworth described the weapon as hugely flexible and a very welcome capability. “This is the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work on the part of the stakeholder community, both in the MOD and industry,” he said. “We can be justifiably proud of our achievements; Paveway IV is a very capable weapon system indeed.” The highly sophisticated weapon, provided by Raytheon Systems UK as part of a £400 million programme, can be New machine shops are based on a standard 20ft ISO container project from Battlefield Utilities team to DS&TE, the progress on moving the delivery of this vital new capability forward has been phenomenal.” Marshalls will start trials next month and user trials begin in April. Peter Callaghan, chief The precision guided bomb, Paveway IV, is pictured fi tted to a Harrier guided on to a target through use of Global Positioning System satellite technology or through laser guidance. Raytheon Systems UK is the design organisation and prime contractor for the weapon system, with Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS), Tucson responsible for warhead design. General Dynamics, Dallas is responsible for warhead case manufacture and SEI, executive of Marshall SV, said: “Part of our success has come from our understanding of shelter based deployable systems and the experience we have gained over recent years in building similar types of solution including a powerpack testing facility.” SpA, Sardinia provides the explosive fill. RMS also designs and manufactures the weapon guidance section and Thales Missile Electronics, Basingstoke is responsible for the design and manufacture of the Fuze. Integration contracts valued at £100 million have been placed with BAE Systems, Warton and Eurofighter GmbH for integration of the weapon onto Tornado GR4 and Typhoon.
AN UPDATED command system has been installed in the last two Royal Navy submarines to complete an extensive installation programme six months early. HMS Tireless and Triumph were the final two to complete the Submarine Command ROSS KEMP added his support to charity uk4U Thanks! which sent thousands of boxes of presents – with help from DE&S – to all servicemen and women abroad over Christmas. “My time in Afghanistan has given me a great insight into what life is like for the men and women of our forces,” he said. “I know how much it will mean to them to receive these boxes, and the message of support and thanks from the public that comes with them.” The boxes are funded by companies, groups and individuals, and are filled with items of everyday use, some Christmassy, some amusing, some useful, some educational, and some just plain fun. Fundraising support came from DE&S staff with guidance to the charity by a committee chaired by Brigadier David Martin of DE&S’ Defence Logistics (Commodities). Numbers needed each year are advised by Defence Food Services’ operations team, taken from their ration strengths. Sy s t em Nex t Generat ion (SMCS NG) programme, designed to handle the growing volume of information available in modern nuclear submarines and to control sophisticated underwater weapons. Its core capability is the assimilation of sensor data DE&S skills back up UK Christmas boxes Ross Kemp, inset, arrives at HMS President on the Thames with his own Christmas box The majority of the boxes are taken into theatre along with food via Purple Foodservice Solutions. Defence Clothing team made a financial contribution from a calendar produced by Squadron Leader Mike Cook. “What a pleasant and welcome addition your Christmas Box was to my deployed Christmas,” and the compilation (via advanced algorithms and data handling) and display of a real time tactical picture to the submarine command team. The programme began in 2001 to prove commercial off the shelf (COTS) technology upgrade to a system in service since the early 1990s. Successful installation in HMS Torbay led to another 11 submarines being fitted with SMCS NG providing commonality across the flotilla. Installing SMCS NG is forecast to save more than £50 million, through life, compared to support of the previous bespoke solution. The original 40-day installation period was reduced to 18 days for HMS Vigilant’s conversion last year. Captain Pat O’Neill, leader of DE&S’ Submarine Combat System Group, said, said one Royal Navy officer. “For those of us overseas and all the family and friends who remain at home it is so encouraging to know there is an organisation prepared to acknowledge the sacrifices we all make. “I am now even prouder of being a member of the UK armed forces.” news 9 Final subs get updated command systems The updated command system is now fi tted to the entire fl otilla “Completing the installation programme six months early is a fantastic achievement. From speaking to operators and maintainers, I know how much they like SMCS NG and the integrated support they receive. The installation and roll out of the technology refresh is proof that we can get COTS technology to sea quickly and support it affordably.” SMCS NG is now fitted to all seven Trafalgar class submarines, all four Vanguard class and one Swiftsure class. There are also systems ashore in training and integration facilities. As the Astute class submarines enter service it is anticipated that they too will be updated to SMCS NG. The entire submarine flotilla will be on common software, reducing through life costs. Abbey Wood wins apprentice employer award The Abbey Wood enhanced advanced modern technician apprenticeship scheme has been awarded the 2008 Engineering Apprentice Employer of the Year Award, from the City of Bristol College Apprenticeship and Skills Academy. The apprentices are typically completing what is effectively a 42month programme in a challenging 36 months. The award recognises the support given to DE&S students, which makes completing the challenging programme possible. 2009 recruitment for apprentices The DE&S Abbey Wood technician apprenticeship scheme will be recruiting again in 2009, with a target to employ 70 apprentices across the electrical, electronic, mechanical and constructive specialisations. Applications will be invited from mid-January to mid-February on the MOD recruitment website www. jobs.mod.uk.
Page 1 and 2: ASTOR into service Bulldog is top d
Page 3 and 4: 14 Inside cover image Every second
Page 5 and 6: Building continues as carriers’ i
Page 7: New batch on the way as boats prove
Page 11 and 12: Bulldog is top dog! DE&S programme
Page 13 and 14: can’t see this changing in the fu
Page 15 and 16: feature • • To equip and suppor
Page 21 and 22: ture must be too Do we have a just
Page 23 and 24: New system keeps Type 23 in command
Page 25 and 26: or RAF painting Surface Finishing S
Page 27 and 28: Ships cluster successes marked Reco
Page 29 and 30: MOD APPRENTICES gathered at Main Bu
Page 31 and 32: Working a different beat DE&S exper
Page 33 and 34: PACE • Performance, Agility, Conf
Page 35 and 36: PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE IN

Issue 9 Jan 2009.indd - Ministry of Defence

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