October 2012 Issue 53 desthe magazine for defenceider equipment and support New capability – and a new ministerial team All change on the ministerial team See inside Wildcat Cutlass Safety down Apprentices Lightning II - a goes training unveiled the mines hit the mark flier’s dream FEATURES 22 19 A flier’s dream When the UK accepted its first F-35 Lightning II aircraft in July it marked a new dawn. The F-35 is set to become a mainstay of the UK fighter force for the next 35 years. An F-35 test pilot provides his perspective LA (Phot) Stu Hill 24 Wildcat on the way to the front Groundcrew from the Territorial Army are among the first to trial the Army's next generation helicopter, the Lynx Wildcat. Five have already been handed over to the Front Line Command 26 Shipshape support to the Olympics The end of the Paralympics and the return of ships from the River Thames and sailing venues at Portland saw DE&S' Ships Operating Centre taking stock of Operation Olympics 28 Tunnel vision – Corsham's safety challenge Keeping the tunnels, mines and quarries underneath the cover image Corsham site safe provides a unique challenge for DE&S 2012 staff. desider reports The second of the Astute class submarines, Ambush, is pictured as she makes her way towards her future home port of Faslane last month. Ambush left BAE Systems submarine-building facility at Barrow and is due to embark on a set of sea trials OCTOBER desider NEWS Assistant Head, Public Relations: Ralph Dunn - 9352 30257 or 0117 9130257 5 A new top team takes over [email protected] Philip Dunne, who has already visited Abbey Wood, is the new Minister for Defence Equipment, Deputy Editor: Support and Technology in the Government Steve Moore - 9352 30537 or 0117 9130537 reshuffle [email protected] 6 Preserving the Invincible legacy Distribution Manager: DE&S is to look to industry for ideas to preserve Dick Naughton - 9352 34342 or 0117 9134342 the legacy of the Royal Navy's Invincible class [email protected] aircraft carriers Advertising: 8 New strategic chief appointed Anthon Linton – Ten Alps Publishing, 1 New Oxford The newly-appointed Chief Strategic Systems Street, High Holborn, London WC1A 1NU Executive at DE&S has spent most of his career in Tel: +44 (0)20 7657 1819. submarines or acquisition Fax: +44 (0)207 7379 7155 [email protected] 11 Minister defends MRA4 decision Andrew Robathan has defended the decision to end the Nimrod MRA4 programme in the face of Printing: renewed criticism from MPs 13 More drivers sign up to Foxhound RAF drivers have become the latest converts as they train on the new Foxhound protected patrol vehicle desider is distributed free of charge to DE&S employees and the equipment capability sponsor. Copies can also in Helmand Province be made available to readers outside the MOD, including those in the defence industries. While the editor takes 15 First upgraded Puma is delivered care to ensure all material produced is accurate, no Upgrade of the RAF's Puma helicopters has taken a liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Views step forward with the first Mk2 aircraft handed over expressed in desider, and the products and services to DE&S by Eurocopter advertised, are not necessarily endorsed by DE&S or the MOD. All content for advertorials must be cleared by the 17 DE&S takes on patrol vessels relevant MOD project team before publication. The future of three Royal Navy patrol vessels has been secured in a deal with industry which will save © Crown Copyright the MOD millions of pounds This magazine is produced on Cocoon 18 Cutlass has cutting edge Silk 90gsm which contains 50 per A new capability to defeat improvised explosive cent recycled and de-inked pulp from devices – the remotely-controlled Cutlass vehicle – post consumer waste and Forest has come into service Stewardship Council certified material from well-managed forests. Insider Bernard Gray PhiLIP DUNNE, the new Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, made his first visit to DE&S Chief of Defence Materiel headquarters at Abbey Wood on 10th September. Bernard Gray, Chief of Defence ‘Project teams in the Materiel, formally welcomed him and hosted him during a series of briefings Submarines Operating Centre and meetings. are at the forefront of working The Minister met DE&S Board members. Separately, Dr Simon Cholerton, with industry to achieve DE&S Chief of Staff, briefed Mr Dunne objectives in an affordable way’ on the organisation including its role, strategic objectives, staffing, budget and locations. Barry Burton, Director Materiel I was pleased to welcome Barrow-in-Furness to view the Strategy, then briefed the Minister on the the new Minister for Defence second Astute class submarine, Strategy, its background, the significant Equipment, Support and Ambush, as she was made amount of work that has been undertaken Technology, Philip Dunne, ready to depart on sea trials. I so far, work currently underway and what lies ahead. to DE&S Abbey Wood know the Minister was hugely The visit coincided with a Materiel headquarters immediately after impressed by what he saw. Strategy Industry Stakeholder Day and his recent appointment. During The Astute class programme the Minister meet some of the key DE&S the visit he spent time with is one of DE&S’ biggest, most industry stakeholders. DE&S Board members, visited challenging and demanding teams on site and received projects. Nuclear-powered briefings on DE&S operations attack submarines are and The Materiel Strategy. enormously complex and costly All change on the ministerial team In addition, he was able to to construct and are much meet and speak to a number needed by the Royal Navy to Mr Dunne then visited the DE&S of key industrial figures who meet the defence requirements Operations Facility in the Defence Support had convened in Abbey Wood of the country. Chain Operations and Movements team to participate in a Materiel Further, the UK is committed and met the Maritime Combat Systems Strategy Industry Day. to building and operating project team to gain an understanding of These are very important nuclear-powered submarines project activities. times for DE&S. As many into the future. DE&S project Mr Gray said: “I was delighted to welcome our new Minister to DE&S of you know, following the teams in the Submarines Headquarters at Abbey Wood. I hope the Government’s announcement Operating Centre are at the visit provided him with a thorough insight in July, we are working up forefront of working with into the scale of DE&S’ activity, the range the detail of how DE&S would our partners in industry to of its project portfolio, some of the key be transformed into a GOCO, achieve these objectives in an issues we face and our top priorities. in particular to inform any affordable way. “I’m very much looking forward legislation which may be This programme is an to working with the Minister over the forthcoming months on the challenges required. illustration, at one extreme, of ahead.” Alongside that work we are the complexities and difficulties In a message to staff Mr Dunne said it developing a value for money that many of us in DE&S face was a great privilege to serve UK Armed benchmark “DE&S-Plus” as as we work to meet the needs a comparator, so we can take of the Armed Forces. These soundly-based decisions on the difficulties have in the past future of DE&S in the coming been exacerbated by having an months. over-committed programme, No final decisions have which led to a large number been taken and, as always, of programme and funding I will ensure you are kept changes that in turn absorbed fully informed of progress. so much time and effort. This work is, as you would The Secretary of State’s imagine, high on the priority announcement, before recess, list of the new Minister and he that the budget was largely has expressed a wish to get balanced should go some way involved early on and be briefed to easing the commitment on the detail. pressures and allow teams to The Minister has also made concentrate more on delivery clear his determination that – we have an agreed budget the Armed Forces should get and plan for the next decade the equipment they need. His – but other challenges remain first public event was a visit to be overcome as the change to BAE Systems Maritime programmes within DE&S and – Submarines’ shipyard at MOD press forward. NEWS 5 ‘A critical time for defence’ THE MOD’S new Permanent Under Secretary has been appointed at – to use his own word – a ‘critical’ time for defence. Jon Thompson took up the post on 3rd September after Prime Minister David The new House of Commons team, Cameron, with the from left: Dr Andrew Murrison (Minister agreement of Defence for International Security Strategy), Mark Secretary Philip Hammond, approved Francois (Minister for Defence Personnel, his appointment as Welfare and Veterans), Defence Secretary Philip successor to Ursula Hammond, Andrew Robathan (Minister for the Armed Brennan. Forces), and Philip Dunne (Minister for Defence Equipment, Mr Thompson Support and Technology, including defence exports). became the MOD’s Picture: Harland Quarrington Director General of Finance in January 2009, where he was responsible for a range of cross- departmental All change on the ministerial team business including strategy, financial management and Forces at the MOD. “They are the pride Mr Dunne is MP for Ludlow where he corporate services.