£65m deals put Cobham at sharp end (From Business in Dorset)

£65m deals put Cobham at sharp end

7:00pm Thursday 17th July 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

FIVE multi-million-pound contracts have been scooped by a Wimborne defence company at the Farnborough Air Show.

Cobham plc has announced over £65m of new business with orders for the Ministry of Defence and the US military.

Julian Hellebrand, group director of communications at Cobham, said: "We've had a fantastic week at the Farnborough International Air Show announcing major orders and teaming agreements for military customers in the USA and UK.

"This new business will underpin our future growth and secure jobs for our talented engineers locally."

A contract of nearly £25m sees Cobham providing 36 specialist antennas and spares to the US Navy to protect strike aircraft, ships and ground troops by disrupting enemy radar and communication signals.

The US Navy has purchased 69 antennas from Cobham worth a total of £55m.

Other contracts include a three-year deal worth £10m to supply 4,000 specialist oxygen masks to US Navy and US army parachutists.

The Parachutist High Altitude Next Generation Technology Oxygen Mask offers a lightweight oxygen cylinder with increased supply.

Additionally, Cobham has secured a 16-month £1.15m deal with the United States Air Force to supply air-refuelling drogues to improve helicopter air-to-air refuelling.

And the Wimborne business will support the MoD having signed a teaming agreement for the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft system currently in operation over Afghanistan.

Finally, Cobham subsidiary FR Aviation has become a preferred bidder for the Fixed Wing Aircraft Service Provision element of the Stage 1 Rear Crew Training requirement for Royal Navy Observers.

• Print
• Email
• Share