A Ministry of Defence site in North Wales has become a regional repair centre for US Air Force aircraft components, aiming to cut costs and improve availability across Europe.
The initiative, called Atlantic Eagle, is run out of the DE&S Deca facility at MOD Sealand and supports aircraft including the C-130 Hercules and KC-135 Stratotanker.
Rather than returning damaged parts to the United States, components now arrive at RAF Mildenhall and are transferred to Sealand for repair. The work includes diagnostics, reconditioning and testing of critical avionics systems.
So far, DE&S Deca engineers have completed successful repairs on Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) units and ARC-164 radio transmitters. Officials on both sides describe the project as a test case for more integrated sustainment between allied forces.
Ian Doughty, Acting Chief Executive of DE&S Deca, said: “The Atlantic project represents a significant shift in military logistics, proving that regional expertise can deliver world-class results while strengthening international defence relationships.”
The programme has two tracks. The first involves physical repair of aircraft parts. The second focuses on the development of test programme sets that allow interoperability between UK and US maintenance systems.
Two DE&S Deca apprentices, Jack Vaughn and Jimmy Stanley-Bratley, have been part of the team. Stanley-Bratley, a third-year apprentice, said: “Being trained up on the TACANs has helped develop my skillset. Meeting the US team was a great experience, especially getting to tap into their expertise and knowledge.”
Earlier this year, a US Air Force Sustainment Center delegation visited MOD Sealand and approved the facility’s ability to conduct repairs at the subassembly level. Tiffany Williams, Atlantic Eagle Action Officer for the US Air Force, said this means repairs can now be handled locally without additional US support.
The programme began with a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Lieutenant General Tom Miller of the US Air Force and Vice Admiral Rick Thompson of the UK’s Defence Equipment & Support.
Vice Admiral Andy Kyte, Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, said: “Atlantic Eagle exemplifies the very best of our transatlantic defence partnerships. By establishing DE&S Deca as a forward repair hub, we are reducing costs and improving aircraft availability for our American allies while showcasing the skills of our British workforce.”
A follow-on initiative, known as GENUS FALCON, is now being developed to expand the approach. It aims to make Sealand a long-term logistics and sustainment node for US and NATO aircraft operating across Europe.
Actually quite good news as it enables us to get critical mass of things to repair and therefore have the throughput to make a facility viable and worth training a larger group of apprentices…..
KC135 presumably also means some of the common parts with the RIVETs?
In effect, the Defence Electronic & Components Agency, subject to the usual pointless rebranding when brought into DE&S.
Was once known as DARA.
One of the few elements of overhaul and repair that MoD retained in house when things like the ABRO, then the DSG, were stupidly disposed of to save money.
Also does F35 avionics work.
RAF Sealand has a long history of this sort of thing when it was an RAF MU.
Daniele, your comment rings so true. As you say, probably the only “base” repair facility still run by the MOD, and thank god we still have it. All the other assets, sadly sold off, and once you have lost the “in-house” capabilities, it is neigh on impossible to get them back. I suspect if you asked the staff at DE&S in Bristol about Sealand, you would get a blank stare from over 99% of them.
I know….it’s sad.
Quite why changing it’s name to DE&S Deca is going to improve it God knows.
Yet another pointless brebrand by MoD, in my ignorant opinion.
I wonder what the cost is in signs, stationary, and so forth?