More than 1,000 UK jobs are set to be supported under a new GBP 879 million contract to maintain and support the British Army Apache attack helicopters and the Royal Air Force’s Chinook heavy-lift fleet.
The three-year contract has been awarded to Boeing Defence UK and brings support for both helicopter types together under a single arrangement, known as the Rotary Wing Enterprise, for the first time, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The agreement is intended to streamline maintenance and support activity across the two fleets, reducing duplication and improving efficiency.
Around 700 roles will be supported at Boeing Defence UK sites across the country, including Middle Wallop, Wattisham, Odiham, Bristol, Gosport and Yeovil, with a further 500 jobs supported across the wider supply chain, including around 300 at StandardAero.
Announcing the contract during a visit to the Army Aviation Centre in Hampshire, Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said the investment would support both operational capability and the UK’s industrial base.
“From the workshop to the frontline, this investment delivers for our military, for the British people and the British defence industry,” he said.
“Our workhorse Chinooks and lethal Apaches help keep our Armed Forces safe and operating effectively while on deployment.”
He added that the deal forms part of wider efforts to ensure the Armed Forces are properly equipped, stating that “this contract shows how we’re ensuring our Armed Forces have the kit and equipment they need to keep Britain safe.”
Under the contract, Boeing Defence UK will provide maintenance, technical services, logistics support and training for both fleets.
The Apache AH-64E provides the Army’s primary attack helicopter capability, while the Chinook remains the RAF’s principal heavy-lift platform, supporting troop transport, resupply and casualty evacuation across a range of environments.
Sir Jeremy Quin, President of Boeing UK & Ireland, said the agreement would help sustain capability while reinforcing the UK’s defence industrial base.
“This contract highlights the UK Government’s commitment to maintaining a world-class rotary wing capability and strengthening the country’s defence industrial base,” he said.
“It will help ensure our armed forces remain equipped to meet both current and future operational challenges with confidence and resilience.”
The award forms part of a broader series of defence investments announced in recent weeks, including contracts linked to helicopters, radar systems and maritime patrol aircraft, as the government seeks to increase defence spending and support industry across the UK.
Suggest Apache numbers will be cut this year as part of the savings required. Not used since the Gulf and very vulnerable when we need AD and more ships.
At same time get rid of the Army Air Corps. All air assets to be operated by the RAF.
No. Cutting brand new £50m helicopters is not a good idea. Not all wars will be over flat terrain like Ukraine.
Cut the AH-64’s which are displaying remarkable capability in the Middle East, from Israel to UAE in shooting down small drones, with cannon and rocket fire. With the Typhoons testing cheap rockets, which why mount it on a supersonic fighter bomber only, we’ve got the Apache and soon to be AW149 (If we go for a Polish Config)…?
Agreed. The AH force has already been cut to far , from 72 Apache to 50 I believe. True the 50 we now have in service are pretty much brand new and all upgraded to the latest standard AH64E but when it comes to land warfare at least quantity still very much has a quality if it’s own. You are right of course , whilst the Typhoon and Lightning force have done a pretty good job of shooting down drones this has come at cost , why use a very expensive missile and of which we have very limited stocks to shoot down a £20,000 drone when a burst from a cannon or an LMM will do the same job. I have found it very interesting that all the “gun’ camera footage I have seen from our Gulf state allies shooting down Shaheed type drones have been of gun camera kills whereas ours have all been of missile shots. We need more AH not less and at the very least should upgrade the AAC Wildcat which currently lack teeth to carry LMM as all RN cabs are fitted.
Disagree there fella, I was in RAF for 16 years. Spent a lot of time on helicopters. Worked alongside AAC helicopter units. The AAC had a far more inclusive team spirit, I remember the aircrew making meals whilst the mechanics carried out essential maintenance. Meanwhile, the RAF officers complained about mud in the cabin and why the wine wasn’t chilled. I know the cold war era was different and a small number of RAF specialists supported the the army in the failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but we could save a lot of money moving strike aircraft to the Navy and support aircraft to the army. I believe there are now more Air Staff level bods than we have Sqns. And most of them sucking up to US defence companies to keep their careers going.
People don’t seem to grasp the difference between cuts and efficiency savings. All departments should be under constant pressure to make efficiency savings, inefficiency is a big factor in ballooning spending that has sod all to show for it.
You ever been on patrol and waited for the RAF, never on time, pick up cancelled and up set if get mud in their helicoptors, AAC spot on helpful as ever same as the Navy. Leave troop movements to troops not the clean hand gang in the RAF.
Hell, I’d be advocating for the AAC to take on the Chinooks, not all of them, but maybe a 60% share, as they’re likely less upset by mud in the back if run by AAC. 😀
As would i
Why only a 60% share? And how would that work?
There are 3 front line Squadrons, 2 of which support the Green Army and the other is tasked by the DSF, so purple CSOC, as a part of JSFAW.
There is a debate to be had to make the lot part of the AAC but again you if are changing service staffing only, as the assets and supports to run those assets remain, so where is the saving? Close air support is now a JAC role anyway.
Then there is the wider support footprint. The JHS Squadron is joint RAF/Army, the field comms support part is split with the Army 244 Signals Sqn of 30 Signals Regiment and the RAF TCW, and the RAF also provide the TSW as well.
Do the RAF lose those assets as well?
I spent a lot of time at sea with the Chinook force. Never heard any aircrew complain about anything. Same on the Harrier force. I think its time to move on from crew room made up dits.
you ever patrol in NI and get no helo back when its a bit wet, or get moody aircrew. Its fact, so get over the crew room crap. RAF cut pick up, a lot, when been out in full kit and ECM kit, wet, tired low battery power for your ECM no lift home beyond annoying.
Well, that wasn’t my experience with the RAF. I heard many crew room BS stories when the reality was very different. About many things across the Force’s. Loadmasters, aircrew, all good blokes. You got the odd knob. But the odd one at all ranks and services
Yeah, that is true,
Bit of a mixed bag isn’t it,there are plenty of instances when chinooks went into hot landing zones in Afghanistan to take out the wounded etc!
And then personally stuck in the jungle and the crabs wouldn’t come into the LZ with their Wessex’s and then up pops the New Zealand Huey’s job done on our way home!
🥱 Same old interservice rivalry stuff ongoing.
Scrap the AAC…..moans about the RAF SHF?
Two opposites!
Fight the Treasury, not the other services over turf wars as who has what role.
Interestingly, back in 1995 FLF review there was a lot of speculation the AAC was to be renamed the Royal Flying Corps, and the RAFs Chinook, Puma, and future Merlin force folded into it.
It’s hard to judge these numbers in isolation. This works out at £293m for 3 years support across the two fleets.
Do we have a comparator for the previous 3 years? I suspect defence inflation in these support contracts is what is eating up our budget.
*£293m per year
Yep. People keep asking where the money goes, the “support” part of the DE&S equipment budget swallows vast amounts.
Beware the power of the MIC, so Eisenhower warned.
That we brilliantly got rid of most of our in house support and R&D pillars to save money, with the exceptions of DE&S DECA ( old DARA ) and DSTL, leaves the military beholden to the MIC.
👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
Truth as always. People sadly seem to not realize the power the MIC weild.
Inter service rivalry, harking back to the days of the empire, disdain for anything automated, and endless Private Frazer comments are the things I always expect in the comment section 🤷🏻♂️
(Also conspiracy theories, misogyny and racism, but these thankfully less often).
You miss the point. It is duplication having RAF and AAC.
Still too much nonsense like that.
Efficiency must be the prime aim now.
And let’s get rid of all the superfluous ceremonial stuff as well. And the guarding of royal palaces etc. simply cannot afford it any longer.
You can say the same of the RAF Regiment when you could have the army guarding airfields…
and the RAF would point to Crete 1941.
I heard the Army were guarding Cyprus now…
I’ll get mi coat. TAXI!
I heard it was the Navy… 😏
There would be sound logic now with the small size of all 3 services to adopt something simular to the US Marine Corp model of one combined force.
Stop all the inter service rivalry and divisive arguing slim the command structure down to something we can afford and the treasury will fund!
We simply cannot carry on like this it’s just depressing now🙄
Jonny
I am all for effecinceny but that only goes so far. We need huge investment in all the armed forces and all the infrastructure. We all know our spineless politicians will do nothing until the drones and missiles start dropping.
I can guarantee you that the presence of the ceremonial troops contribute more tourist dollar to the economy than they cost to run.
I very much doubt that. Would love to see your calculation.
In any case we do not have military capability for tourism. We have it to defend the nation and its people.
Sure. I’ll start with a figure of 500 million GBP annually that is often quoted as the value that tourism attributed to the Royal family brings to the UK Economy. Now Republica, the anti-monarchist organisation, dispute the actual figure but don’t dismiss it so im going to be generous to them and halve it to 250 million GBP. But bear in mind that even without the Royal Family the historic sites which the guards are an intrinsic part of have far greater pulling power than just the Royals. There is a whole tourist/souvenir sub-economy built around the red-coated, bearskinned Guardsman.
In July 2022 UKDJ ran an article on the annual running costs of a Light Infantry BRIGADE with a figure of 140 million GBP pa. So considering a 3 Battalion Brigade this would amount to 37 million pa. So lets consider that a Guards Battalion will spend half its time in a combat role and half in ceremonials im going to put the ceremonial cost at 18.6 million pa.
Im going to make a guess that there are never more than 3 Battalions on Ceremonials at any one time so my conclusion is 55.8 million GBP.
Very well said, I suspect a lot of the anti ceremonial stuff is actually a screen for anti Monarchy.
They pay for themselves, and generate a profit for HMT.
This often goes hand in hand with demands that Wellington Barracks are closed, the one place in the Whitehall Security Zone where troops can be mustered and also makes a useful helipad.
There are two Guards Battalions on Public Duties, one at Aldershot and one at Windsor.
The Ceremonial stuff is met by 5 Incremental Companies at Wellington Barracks, plus the Guards Regiments massed bands, the Kings Troop RHA, and the HCMR.
The monarch is the head of state, and thus until that is literally thrown away, it is right that the Household Troops remain, who are also professional soldiers as well as doing the ceremonial stuff at state occasions. I believe some other nations ceremonial troops have no front line role?
Your missing the point methinks. We have no such thing as ceremonial troops , all are double or triple hatted and are very much frontline combat soldiers first. I am not a Guardsman but I am Infantry and have served alongside them in many an operational theatre of war as well as on course , School of Inf , Brecon etc and they are every bit as good as the rest.
Name me an infantry CO who got killed on duty in Afghanistan?
Name me the Brigade that go over 30 blokes toasted because of their officer’s indifference, in the Falklands War?
Guards can fight, but their officer’s mentality and of the cost of the Braid that supports the very Brigade of Guards is something we can not afford anymore. We can do away with the gees gees as well.
Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe Welsh Guards , killed in Afghanistan by an IED
Correct. And my point was?
And I can guarantee you that the Czechs dress their ‘Guards’ in Armani, who go through the drill for the minimum wage.
Conscripts cost peanuts, and a lot of the incremental Guards are just out of Basic; so for the benefit of the 2nd generation Italian who likes to say his pennorth worth, we could do ceremonial, rent out the rooms of Buck house AND Horseguards, lease Knightsbridge for a pretty fortune and save a fortune while earning an even greater fortune.
Buck House also has a secure landing pad, although Wellington Barracks does not and for that matter, if people think Wellington is secure, then you could close the Royal Parks and just use the Square behind Horseguards.
And yes, we should chin off the Royals – Hollywood does it so much better.
Scrap the Army! The RM can do it and the Army is simply a bullet to be fired by the RN and RAF.
Scrap the RAF Regiment! An Army Battalion can do it, therefore denuding the Army of a useful Battalion in a fixed role.
Scrap the RAF! The FAA can do all that. Really? Well, scrap the FAA! The RAF can do those roles as well.
Scrap the RN! The Army has maritime forces and so can do that role.
All, equally, utter cobblers.
There is an debate to be had whether the RAF SHF should be a part of the AAC, as most other nations ground forces also deal with their integral close air support, but then we formed the JHC and now JAC to streamline taskings there so I do not see the point.
It’s not, the RAF has the role.
If we made the entire RAF a part of the FAA, the people still exist, the roles still need filling, the Stations are still there. Where is the saving amongst the costs of upheaval? Unifying Service Dress? Removing the CAS? The rest are still needed, as the functions still exist. Get rid of the Headquarters? Ah, but RAG High Wycombe has fixed infrastructure of a strategic nature that cannot be moved without vast cost of replication, so where is the saving?
Well said that man ! Here here to that.
Agreed. And to add to all that what is the cost to morale in overturning hundreds of years of history and tradition? Just become a bland, monotone self defence force? It just can’t be discounted in the pursuit of pure efficiency.
I get the point, but still don’t see why helicopters need to be under the jurisdiction of the RAF. Let’s face it, pretty much every task they undertake is in support of Army Units. It would be much more efficient to have a single line of communication, not only in terms of command and control, but training and coordination.
Yep, as I noted, there is a conversation to be had there.
But, for me, they’re RAF, so, there are bigger fish to fry than changing.
C3, Training, and so on is under JAC, so already streamlined, where all battlefield helicopters are within the organisation.
Well said mate
Because it doesn’t bring millions upon millions in tourist dollars? Oh wait, yes it does!
Sorry, somebody will educate me l’m sure, but how can it cost £290m a year to keep 100 helicopters airworthy???
MIC profits and ignorant bean counters, worse? Ignorant politicians.
Absolutely no conflict of interest…
In February 2020, Quin was appointed as Minister of State for Defence Procurement in the Ministry of Defence.
In September 2022, Quin was appointed Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire in the Home Office.[22]
In October 2022, Quin was appointed Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office. While in the role he oversaw the introduction of the Procurement Act.[23]
On 27 October 2022, Quin was appointed to the Privy Council.
In November 2023, Quin resigned from government to focus on projects in his constituency.[24]
Quin was knighted in the 2023 Political Honours for public and political service.
Quin was elected Chair of the Defence Select Committee on 17 January 2024.
And lobbied heavily by the MIC.
Because Bill, the Rt Hon Sir Jeremy Quin is the president of Boeing UK & Ireland with responsibility for Boeing’s operations and strategy across the UK and Ireland. Recognise the name? Well you might, as previously Sir Jeremy was an MP [from 2015 to 2024] and more pertinently served as Minister of State for Defence Procurement. He was also briefly Chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee in 2024 and most recently an advisor to the current UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review. So he had plenty of time and opportunity to set up this deal…
Compare the % of government income spent in 1956 to the % of income spent on defence today. = 9% of 1.34 trillion say around 120 billion as apposed to 66 billion we do spend. The conversations the contributors are making, many valid, but until the government and the MOD stop wasting money on unnecessary everything from Council executives to green energy you will be having these comments. Many like I take security seriously so stop talking about we cut or do this more efficiently. Trump won’t defend us, that game is over, and Putin now knows it. I fear, and I never hoped I would be more wrong, we are about to get a huge wake call and innocents will suffer. Deterrence works at the conventional level as well as strategic.
Completely ignoring the fact that if didn’t have to rely on Saudi oil etc, we would be free from those travails and able to chart our own course and have much lower energy costs.
I don’t have much time for Milliband, but, releasing the UK from oil and gas dependency is a must for restoring sovereign independance.
Hmm, maintaining Apache is very trixy.