Stephen Crabb MP: “Defence industry vital to health of Welsh economy"
19 Jun 2014 02:42 PM
Wales Office Minister
visits General Dynamics UK
Wales Office Minister, Stephen
Crabb MP will today (19 June) visit General Dynamics UK to see the wide ranging
capabilities the south Wales based defence supply company provides to the UK
Armed Forces.
The visit comes following the
announcement that the Ministry of Defence has awarded two 5-year contracts to
General Dynamics UK to support the Bowman radio system used by UK Armed Forces
personnel around the world.
General Dynamics UK will provide
design, engineering and logistic support for the radio system that is used
across the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The work will sustain the jobs
of 140 highly skilled engineers at their Oakdale site in Blackwood near
Newport, with further roles being secured in the company’s wider supply
chain.
Wales Office Minister Stephen
Crabb MP said:
General Dynamics UK has a proven
record of delivering high quality support services to our Armed Forces. As
Wales prepares to host the NATO Summit in September, the awarding of the Bowman
contracts is a validation of the expertise and skills of our defence sector
workers in Wales and across the UK.
Wales has long been at the
forefront of the aerospace and defence industries, with Welsh companies
employing thousands of people in this sector, and providing high quality
equipment and support to our excellent armed forces around the world. The
contribution General Dynamics UK makes to this sector is helping to lay the
foundations for lasting growth and shared prosperity in the defence industry,
UK wide.
Steve Rowbotham, chief operating
officer at General Dynamics UK said:
We are delighted that the
Minister chose to visit us today to see first-hand the cutting-edge solutions
General Dynamics UK delivers to the UK Armed Forces. The two recent contract
awards demonstrates the confidence the UK Ministry of Defence places in the
Bowman communication system, and is also a clear show of faith in the
Company’s highly-skilled employees who deliver Bowman and the Specialist
Vehicle from Oakdale, in the heart of the Welsh Valleys.
General Dynamics UK - which
supports around 500 jobs at its Oakdale site, and approximately 700 across the
UK - manages a number of large supply chains for its defence
programmes.
During the visit, Mr Crabb will
also tour the company’s research and development hub, known as EDGE
UK®, where he will see how General Dynamics UK works with SMEs, academia,
and government to develop ground-breaking technology for domestic and
international customers. Capabilities delivered through previous EDGE UK
collaborations are currently in service with the UK Armed
Forces.
Find out
more about the Bowman contracts