On 30 September 2016 the AirTanker consortium, of which Cobham is a shareholder, reached the final milestone in the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) programme with the achievement of ‘Full Service Date’.
The FSTA project, the largest private-funded defence project to date, includes a 27-year contract through to 2035 that covers the delivery of aircraft as well as the associated infrastructure, service and support.
Cobham, which has provided its air-to-air refuelling equipment for the aircraft, will be maintaining these systems on the wing and in the fuselage of the Voyager for the duration of the contract.
The final aircraft, FSTA 14, arrived at RAF Brize Norton in July 2016, completing the aircraft delivery requirements of the FSTA contract. The fleet of nine core and five surge aircraft operate in both the military and civil leasing sectors.
Alan Ephgrave, Vice President at Cobham Mission Systems in Wimborne, said: “When we stand back and take stock of what has been achieved it is truly magnificent. Working alongside our colleagues within AirTanker Services Ltd to deliver such outstanding capability to the RAF is ground-breaking and we are very proud of the role played by Cobham in helping deliver this.”
Phill Blundell, CEO of AirTanker Ltd, said: “This is a landmark date for everyone involved in the Voyager programme. Following the contract award to AirTanker by the Ministry of Defence in 2008, the whole AirTanker team has worked tirelessly together with our industry partners and RAF colleagues to deliver this vital capability. The fact that we have done so on time and on budget is testament to that teamwork and commitment.”
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Mark Lane is a defence writer for defenceonline.co.uk and the MoD’s Defence Contracts Bulletin. He is also editor of Global Trader, sub-editor of Insider Scotland and a former editor of Business Today.
Post written by: Vicky Maggiani
Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.
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