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Desider: Issue 74, July 2014

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Desider: Issue 74, July 2014 July 2014 Issue 74 desthe magazine for defencidere equipment and support UK’s biggest warship ready for Royal naming Latest Finance and Military Capability wallchart See inside Perfectly Airseeker A warm Trucks on Families inspect formed take-off welcome the front line Abbey Wood FEATURES on 32 all 29 MASS production With demand for ammunition set to fall as UK Forces complete the drawdown from Afghanistan, DE&S' contract e: Andy F with BAE Systems Munitions will be moving into a new phase Pictur 32 Vanguard of power projection As the first of class Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is set to be named this month, DE&S' Director Ships Tony Graham looks back on the project's challenges and successes 36 New look Chinook The first of the Mk6 Chinooks, with improved handling qualities and stability, has been handed over to the RAF on time, less than three years after contract signing 42 Truck of war Reservists will have a vital role in Army 2020. The Army's heavy equipment transport service has been using Sponsored Reserves for the last ten years cover image 2014 The first of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers is Y 44 DE&S family together at Abbey Wood due to be officially named this month. Queen Elizabeth The first of this summer's Families Days at DE&S is in Rosyth where the various component parts have JUL headquarters has proved a resounding success been integrated following construction at yards around the country desider NEWS www.gov.uk/government/publications/desider 6 New Chair to bring about change Assistant Head, Corporate Comms: DE&S has taken on a UK business leader to be Ralph Dunn - 9352 30257 or 0117 9130257 the chairman of the new trading entity that the [email protected] organisation has become Editor: 10 A second attack missile for Wildcat Steve Moore - 9352 30537 or 0117 9130537 DE&S and Thales have provided the foundation for [email protected] design and manufacture of a new missile for the Royal Navy's attack helicopters Distribution Manager: Dick Naughton - 9352 34342 or 0117 9134342 12 Critical components maintained [email protected] A critical component of maritime military effect is to be maintained with new contracts worth together Advertising: around £111 million Richard Stillman – Ten Alps Media, 1 New Oxford Street, High Holborn, London SC1A 1NU 14 You are being watched! Tel: +44 (0)20 7657 1837 Sensors from the first Queen Elizabeth aircraft Fax: +44 (0)20 7379 7155 carrier have tracked the RAF's Red Arrows during a [email protected] display in Portsmouth Printing: 18 Targets remain on target A new contract will see QinetiQ deploy and maintain underwater mobile acoustic targets for the next five years desider is distributed free to DE&S employees and the equipment capability organisations. Copies may be 22 Spicing up ration packs sent to readers outside MOD, including in the defence Armed Forces ration packs are being spiced up with industries. While the editor takes care to ensure all the introduction of a new hot sauce material produced is accurate, no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Views expressed in desider, and products and services advertised, are not necessarily endorsed by DE&S or the MOD. All editorial submissions must be cleared by the relevant MOD authorities with content for advertorials to be cleared by CDM Commendation winner 2014 the relevant MOD project team before publication. desider magazine’s performance in the commercial © Crown Copyright market earned it an award from Bernard Gray, Chief of Defence Materiel, in his recognition of top- This magazine is produced on Cocoon Silk performing staff at DE&S over the previous 12 months. 90gsm which contains 50 per cent recycled Advertising revenue from the magazine and its family and de-inked pulp from post consumer of supplements and wallcharts reached more than waste and Forest Stewardship Council certified material from well-managed £500,000 in 2013-14. forests. Insider File: AMV2283-038 Size:297x420 Client: HP Op: Simon Date: 22/04/14 AMV Job No: z9201mhp002 Publication: Desider DII Page:1 File: AMV2283-038 Size:297x420 Client: HP Op: Simon Date: 22/04/14 AMV Job No: z9201mhp002 Publication: Desider DII Page:1 Bernard Gray DE&S HAS taken on a UK business leader with extensive experience in both the private and public sectors to be the chair of the new Chief of Defence Materiel trading entity the organisation has become. Paul Skinner has been appointed to lead the board for the reformed DE&S which was established on 1st April this year. As non- ‘Together we can shape executive Chair, he will provide strategic leadership to the organisation and be a bright future for the accountable to Ministers at the MOD for the work of DE&S. organisation and for you Mr Skinner is a former Group Managing Director of Royal Dutch/Shell and Chair of all’ Rio Tinto, the global mining and minerals company. He was a member of the Defence Board THE appointment of Paul a bright future for the from 2006-2009 and was non-executive Chair Skinner as the first DE&S non- organisation, and for you all. of the Advisory Board of Infrastructure executive Chair is one of the Paul is a non-executive UK at HM Treasury during its initial phase which saw the development of the National most important moves made Chair, which means he will Infrastructure Plan. since our launch on 1st April focus on the big strategic He is a non-executive director at to transform DE&S into the issues facing DE&S – leaving Standard Chartered plc, Air Liquide SA, world class procurement and the day-to-day management of the Tetra Laval Group and was a member of support organisation we know the business to the Executive the Board of INSEAD, the European/Asian it can be. business school. Team. He does however intend Mr Skinner will work alongside Bernard Paul is highly regarded in to get out and about to meet Gray, who will continue in his role as Chief his field and there is very little as many of you as time will of Defence Materiel. he does not know about large allow. I hope he will become a Announcing the appointment, Minister scale project and programme familiar figure around Abbey for Defence Equipment, Support and management. In short he has Technology Philip Dunne said: “Paul Skinner Wood and our other sites as he brings wide and hugely valuable experience ‘been there and done that’ in seeks to get a handle on the across both the private and public sectors – the world of business, he has challenges you all face in your including defence – to this new role as non- amassed great experience and roles. Please give him a warm executive Chair of Defence Equipment and developed many useful skills. welcome. He is as enthusiastic Support. “He has extensive experience of If we are to deliver on as I am about the direction of our business objectives we delivering major capital projects and travel that we are all taking, managing complex supply chains. need the sort of skills and and he will welcome any experience that Paul brings. positive input you may have to He will lead a Board which, shape his forward thinking. ‘Paul brings huge with more appointments on We have already begun the experience across public the way, will be a team of process of inviting interest talents which can advise us, from private companies to and private sectors’ challenge us, point us in the help run our business through right direction, even criticise the procurement of the us, to make sure we are “DE&S is being transformed as it Managed Service Providers. providing the right equipment operates in its first year with extensive I was pleased to see at the right time and at the freedoms from cross-government controls. one of our major projects “As Chair of the DE&S Board I will right price for our Forces. has successfully passed be looking to Paul to bring his wealth of Paul and I have already significant milestones. experience to bear in establishing non- had meetings to discuss the executive governance structures for the future direction of DE&S and As I have said before it is organisation and, working with the Chief of it’s clear to me that we will frustrating when some of Defence Materiel, to ensure both effective our successes do not get the delivery of the equipment programme and work well together as we implementation of its substantial change move towards making the recognition they deserve, but it was heartening for me to agenda.” organisation 'match fit' to Mr Skinner made a visit to Abbey Wood face the future. Paul was a see wide and positive media on 4th June to meet senior staff. member of the Defence Board coverage of the successful on- He said: “I am delighted to take on this when DE&S was formed, schedule delivery of the first new role and I am particularly looking and believes that bringing three of 14 new Chinook Mk6 forward to helping DE&S make the changes helicopters to the RAF. it has planned to assure the continuing procurement and support delivery of cost-effective defence capability. under one roof was completely The excellent teamwork “I have already spent some time with the right thing to do and that between DE&S staff and our Bernard Gray and his senior team. I look we have come a very long way colleagues in industry and the forward to supporting them in building on since, combining two very Front Line Commands is an recent performance improvements and in example of the great work of developing strong and effective governance different organisations.
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