QinetiQ has secured a five-year contract extension valued at £205m ($274m) with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to continue providing engineering services for the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Typhoon fighter aircraft.
The agreement aims to maintain the operational readiness of the Typhoon fleet and ensure pilot safety.
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It incorporates advanced AI and digital engineering tools to reduce turnaround times and costs associated with preparing the aircraft for missions.
The extension will support 250 jobs across several locations in the UK, including sites operated by QinetiQ, MoD, and the RAF in Farnborough, MOD Boscombe Down, Lincoln, Malvern, RAF Coningsby, Bristol, and Warton.
In addition to ongoing work for the UK armed forces, the services provided under this agreement will also expected to benefit export customers.
As part of this initiative, QinetiQ is contributing £10m towards integrating new digital and AI technologies developed in collaboration with UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specialising in AI.
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By GlobalDataThis investment is intended to enhance productivity among engineering teams, aligning with objectives set out in the government’s Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy.
QinetiQ has indicated plans to expand the use of AI technology across its other engineering services for the MoD beyond the Typhoon programme.
The Aurora Engineering Delivery Partnership (EDP), led by QinetiQ and strengthened recently, will deliver this contract. The EDP comprises QinetiQ, Atkins, BMT, Frazer-Nash, KBR, and over 380 partner firms providing engineering expertise for key defence projects.
UK Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard said: “Our Typhoon fighter fleet is crucial in how we keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad, deploying across the world in support of our allies.
“Through our continued investment in the Typhoon programme and last year’s £8bn Typhoon export deal with Türkiye, we are showing how defence is an engine for growth supporting prosperity across the country.”
The EDP currently provides employment for more than 3,000 skilled workers nationwide. More than 290 of its participating companies are small or medium-sized enterprises.
The partnership mainly serves Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) but has seen a 40% increase in activity since its start. Other clients include the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and members of the National Armaments Director Group.
In October last year, DE&S awarded Serco a five-year contract worth £7.8m to provide maintenance and logistics for EJ200 engines, which are essential to the operation of the RAF’s Typhoon aircraft.
