THIS IS AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Enterprise and Expertise AER OSP ACE 60M £

Shaping the sector's future – £60m development at Airport and Enterprise Zone

6,500

6,500 people employed in the Airbus Group, North The Aerospace and Defence sector is thriving throughout Wales. Over 160 companies employ more than 20,000 people here.

THIS IS AEROSPACE & DEFENCE

The Aerospace industry in Wales aerospace and defence. Today, the is thriving, and Wales provides area is dedicated to shaping the world-class training, innovation sector’s future, as part of Welsh and expertise, from university Government’s £60 million Cardiff research to government and Airport and St Athan EZ. With a 1,800 private sector projects. metre resurfaced in 2009 and full airfield support, the Enterprise It’s a passion for progress. A driving Zone is Wales’ new hub for Aerospace force that has attracted some of the and Defence. It has been a major base world’s leading companies to Wales, for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) including BAE Systems, British since its opening. Deeside EZ includes Airways, GE Aviation, General a number of global companies and the Dynamics, Raytheon, Zodiac Seats Snowdonia EZ includes Llanbedr, a site and Qioptiq. Airbus Group in North being developed for further RPAS and Wales employs 6,500 people in its potentially for a Space Port. Civilian civilian aircraft wing plant. and military projects work here side Wales can offer some of the highest by side, in areas including levels of financial incentives in the UK. maintenance, repair and overhaul and The sector has its own Enterprise Zone non-destructive testing, as well as pilot (EZ). Since 1938, St Athan EZ in South and engineering training and 'end of Wales has been a major centre for life' aircraft recycling services. 1 THIS IS AEROSPACE & DEFENCE | Enterprise and Expertise

DEFENCE OPERATIONS

Wales is a cornerstone of UK defence operations, through provision of workforce skills, as well as the availability of secure sites and airspace. More recently, we’ve added new strengths to our infrastructure. These include training, systems and defence technologies. Around 100 companies in Wales are involved in creating defence applications such as software, biometrics, optical design and imaging.

One example is Airbus Defence and Space. From its base in Newport, the company is developing defence communication and information systems using local expertise and ingenuity. Working in , with General Dynamics, Axiom and TT Electronics nearby, these companies have been able to access a highly skilled workforce – as well as the MOD’s procurement base, just a short drive away in Bristol. Such an active Aerospace and Defence sector provides a ready market for businesses such as Qioptiq, which designs and manufactures night vision systems for the MOD. Another is Babcock, which maintains the RAF fast-jet training fleet at RAF Valley on , and QinetiQ, experts in defence, aerospace and security.

2 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)

Segregated airspace for RPAS off the Parc Aberporth – the first purpose- coast of West Wales was the first of its built RPAS technology park in Europe kind in the world to be established, and home to Watchkeeper – Europe’s spanning over 1,500km² of land, and largest RPAS programme operated a further 7,100km² over sea – enabling by the UK MOD. full-scale testing, training, flight trials Llanbedr Airfield – an ex-military site and demonstrations. with three runways, is a controlled The centre of excellence for test and environment enabling safe operations evaluation of RPAS includes hangars of medium and high-altitude long and laboratories at: duration RPAS.

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