The MoD has awarded a £45m maintenance contract for the Armed Forces’ Bowman radio that will secure up to 300 British defence jobs, Vigilance can confirm.
Bowman is a secure digital voice and data system which allows frontline soldiers to communicate with colleagues and commanders on the ground, at sea or in the air. It plays a vital role in Afghanistan, giving troops a better awareness of the operational situation.
It is said the contract awarded to General Dynamics UK to provide essential support for troops across the globe who use Bowman, will secure 150 jobs at the company’s site in Oakdale, South Wales. The other 150 jobs will be sustained across the supply chain. Wincanton in Bicester, Excelis in Basingstoke and DRS in Farnham are among the larger companies who will benefit as well as Small and Medium sized Enterprises including Cablescan in Brough and AWE Electronics in Staffordshire.
Minister for Defence Equipment Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said: “General Dynamics have a proven record of delivering high quality support services to our Armed Forces. Bowman is a key communications asset, used by all three services across the globe, enabling greater situational awareness and critically providing a secure system for information sharing and communications.
Minister Dunne added: “This £45 million contract is a good example of how one of our prime contractors is working closely with UK-based Small and Medium sized Enterprises, helping to rebalance the economy and laying the foundations for lasting growth and shared prosperity in the Defence industry.”
One of the companies who will benefit from this contract is Brough based Cablescan, who repair any electrical wiring damaged on operations in Afghanistan and return Bowman radios to the frontline.
Managing Director of Cablescan, Richard Willis said: “This Bowman contract provides Cablescan with a bedrock of sustainable work over the next five years which supports the company growth strategy by enabling a fixed level of work to be planned into the production schedule each month. As a result, we have created additional jobs and are relocating to a larger facility within one of the country’s Enterprise Zones.”
AWS Electronics Group Ltd based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire are another of the SMEs involved in Bowman who will benefit from the additional MoD investment.
Paul Deehan, Chief Executive, AWS Electronics Group Ltd enthused: “AWS Electronics growth, particularly in the Defence and Aerospace sectors has been a combination of our own development, underpinned by the work with GDUK on the Bowman project. This cemented our relationship and both companies have been proactive in managing continuous improvement with the common driver of exceptional quality, delivery and flexibility.”