Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S)

Boat of confidence. 🗣 New boats delivered by us to the Royal Navy have been described as an “important step” in the modernisation of operational capabilities in the maritime environment, including greater integration of autonomous systems. The Vahana boats, used for diving, surveying, and training operations, are known as the “SEA class” and are interchangeable to be adapted for different tasks. 🇬🇧 Royal Navy Commander Peter Ware, Fleet Navigating Officer, said: 💬“The acquisition of Vahana craft has played an important step in the modernisation of a range of operational and enabling capabilities across the UK Defence maritime operating environment and will provide an important platform upon which we can continue to build towards further integration of autonomous systems and delivery of effect in remote environments.”

The Atlas A400M, capable of carrying up to 37 tonnes of cargo and 116 fully equipped troops to the front-line, celebrates 10 years of service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). 🎉 In this month’s Desider we spoke to A400M team leader Michelle Østergaard about how we’ve delivered this highly versatile transport aircraft; its journey, successes and why it is a pivotal part of the RAF fleet. Want to find out more? Read page 7 now. 👇

She’s back... We’re very proud to have played our part in getting Britain’s flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, home to Portsmouth following four months of unscheduled repairs in Scotland. On completion of repairs ahead of schedule, the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier undertook a seven-day spell at sea to test her systems to the maximum to give the command team full confidence in her systems following the docking period. Working alongside 👉 Babcock International Group & BAE Systems

#ICYMI: Katherine Jenkins OBE, the Sponsor for the second Type 26 Frigate, HMS Cardiff, went behind the scenes at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard to see how we’re building the most advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare ships for the Royal Navy. 🇬🇧 🗣 “Katherine’s excitement about her role as the Sponsor re-affirmed to me how proud we are at DE&S to be involved in helping the Royal Navy maintain the battle-winning edge and bring prosperity to the UK.” - Type 26 Whole Ship Design Owner.

#ICYMI: We've successfully delivered the final Vahana workboats with ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK for the Royal Navy, completing the fleet of 35. 🙌 These 15m long adaptable boats will play a vital role in Navy service and will used for diving, surveying, transport, and training operations.  💡 The contract, known as Project Vahana, was first announced in September 2017, with the new vessels required to replace boats made in the early 1990s that had reached the end of their service lives.

📢 We’re on a mission to increase the speed of delivery and scale of availability to get more battle-winning kit into the hands of our Armed Forces. Want to know how we’re already doing that? Dive into the latest edition of Desider to find out. 👇

Spotted at #FIA2024 🤩... Last week, we saw an impressive demonstration by the RAF Chinook display team showcasing Chinook's ability to carry heavy loads across the battlefield, a new demo at the airshows this year. 👏 Chinook is an extremely capable and highly versatile support helicopter that can operate in a range of environments – from the Arctic to the jungle. Our Chinook delivery team are at the heart of supporting this aircraft on global operations.

An aviation-fuelled couple of weeks comes to an end... We had a remarkable time at the Farnborough International Air Show, and the Royal International Air Tattoo 2024. From watching spectacular flypasts of aircraft delivered by our experts to announcing more vital missiles for the UK. 🇬🇧 Events like these showcase our unwavering commitment to our armed forces and allies, keeping them safe at home and abroad. Thank you to those who visited the DE&S stands and spoke to us about joining our mission to help shape the future of Defence. 🤝 #FIA2024 | #RIAT2024

Our Director HR, Jo Osburn-Hughes led a lively discussion at Farnborough International Air Show about why a new attitude towards our people is essential if the sector is to deliver the UK’s defence mission today, and tomorrow. 🤝 The panel stressed the importance of renewed energy and greater urgency to collaborate so that the Defence enterprise can retain the much-needed skills to meet the needs and threats of a changing world. 🌎 With ➡️ Women in Defence UK, Women in Defence Charter, Babcock International Group, Boeing, ADS Group Ltd, Jenny Shaw #FIA2024 #Defence

New supply of missiles to keep our nation safe... We’ve signed an order to equip 🇬🇧 armed forces with Lightweight Multirole Missiles from Thales UK, supporting 135 jobs at their Belfast site. 💼 Announcing the contract at our stand during day three of the Farnborough International Airshow, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle said: 🎙“In a more dangerous world, we must continue to provide weapons to Ukraine but also replenish our own stocks. Our new order of Lightweight Multirole Missiles from Thales UK will support this, providing our Armed Forces with versatile missiles that can be used against threats such as drones, helicopters and small maritime targets.” #FIA2024