www.des.mod.uk Issue 120 July 2018 the magazine for defence equipment and support des First UK F-35B fighter jets touch down on British soil Over 100 years invested in leading UK technology FUTURE RUAS CONCEPT UNMANNED ELECTRONIC WARFARE ‘HERO’ RUAS PROVISION STATE-OF-THE-ART SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AESA MULTI-MODE RADAR FULLY-INTEGRATED MISSION SYSTEMS Leonardo is an official partner to the Royal Air Force for RAF100. Leonardo has over 100 years of history at the leading edge of advanced design and manufacturing in the UK. 7,100 highly-skilled employees and a vast network of suppliers and partners design and develop industry-leading aircraft, electronics, space, defence and security systems for UK and export customers, worldwide. Inspired by the vision, curiosity and creativity of the great master inventor - Leonardo is designing the technology of tomorrow. leonardocompany.com Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space Over 100 years invested in leading UK technology FUTURE RUAS CONCEPT Foreword am delighted to be able to And I am delighted to see celebrate another major DE&S us continue to do good work I success this month. I was at in the community, with DE&S the CEO Conference on F-35B graduates helping at a farm UNMANNED ELECTRONIC WARFARE ‘HERO’ RUAS in the United States when the that provides vocational PROVISION first F-35B fighter jets arrived and employment training opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism, "I could not be prouder of all those involved in bringing the and RAF engineers from DE&S F-35 programme to this stage after almost two decades of helping inspire hundreds of STATE-OF-THE-ART school children at the ‘Inspiring SITUATIONAL AWARENESS the Next Generation’ event at hard work" Aerospace Bristol. Finally, I must mention Kevin Cooper from DE&S’ DM at RAF Marham in what was Gosport site, who travelled 250 a historic moment for the RAF miles to re-unite a Royal Naval and DE&S. Ships Ensign with a Second AESA MULTI-MODE Having had close involvement World War veteran who was RADAR FULLY-INTEGRATED MISSION SYSTEMS with the F-35 programme over on board the vessel when it a number of years, I would have was sunk. This kind act clearly loved to have been there to meant a lot to Frank and I want share this moment in history. to thank you for your service I could not be prouder of all to DE&S and wish you the very those involved in bringing the best in your retirement. F-35 programme to this stage after almost two decades of hard work. Elsewhere, I must congratulate the DE&S staff who have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. It is a reflection of your professional dedication and I am very proud to have you working for our organisation. In other business, the first student to fly the Juno helicopter – part of DE&S’ £1.1 By Sir Simon Bollom, CEO billion upgraded pilot training fleet – declared it a “huge step forward” in preparing trainee pilots for the front line. And we have agreed a contract to convert almost Leonardo is an official partner to the Royal Air Force for RAF100. 400 trucks into battle-critical vehicles that transport Leonardo has over 100 years of history at the leading edge of advanced design ammunition and vital supplies and manufacturing in the UK. into live operations, further strengthening the logistics 7,100 highly-skilled employees and a vast network of suppliers and partners design backbone of the British Army. and develop industry-leading aircraft, electronics, space, defence and security On the sporting front, the systems for UK and export customers, worldwide. MOD football team, whose squad includes a remarkable Inspired by the vision, curiosity and creativity of the great master inventor - 13 players from DE&S, won Leonardo is designing the technology of tomorrow. the Civil Service’s annual cup competition for the first time. Great result and a good portent for the rest of the summer, I hope! leonardocompany.com Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space 3 Editor: Tom Morris - 9352 37888 or 0117 9137888 [email protected] Contributors: Laura Martin Plaza, Amy Marsh, Tom Knight, Emma Lancaster, Hannah Wood, Louise Allford and Monika Komar Photography and Design: Andrew Linnett, Charlie Perham, Jack Eckersley, Beth Squire, Mark Hawke and Katherine Williams 14 Distribution Manager: Dick Naughton - 9352 34342 or 0117 9134342 DES CEO-CorpOC-BusMgr1a@ mod.gov.uk Advertising Manager: Edwin Rodrigues edwin.rodrigues@ noahsarkmedia.com +44 (0) 748 257 1535 Printing desider is distributed free to DE&S employees 18 and the equipment capability organisations. Copies may be sent to readers outside MOD, including in the defence industries and is published on the world wide web via GOV. UK. While the editor takes care to ensure all 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. © Crown Copyright This magazine is produced on Cocoon Silk 100gsm which contains 50 per cent recycled and de-inked pulp from post consumer waste and Forest Stewardship Council certified material from well-managed forests. 22 4 desider July 2018 Feature Contents 06 Senior Leader Regulars On the cover Comment: Director F-35B Lightning landing at RAF Marham ISTAR Simon Dakin 16 First Person – Picture by Sergeant Nik Howe Market Intelligence Lead for Land News Equipment, Mike 08 Next generation Moate F-35B Lightning 28 60 Second Spotlight touch down in UK – Commercial Officer 12 Queen’s Birthday Luke Monahan Honours for DE&S 30 DE&S People – employees Kevin Cooper goes 14 New Juno helicopter the extra mile receives praise 32 Jobs – Desider’s 20 Logistics backbone latest recruitment of British Army gets a pages and benefits boost 22 HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier milestone 26 Innovative delivery model declared a success Features 18 Lee Kyte reveals his amazing experience at ICEX 18 24 DE&S employees tell Desider why volunteering is a pleasure www.gov.uk/government/publications/desider-2018 Twitter: @DefenceES Facebook: @DefenceES LinkedIn: Defence Equipment & Support YouTube: DE&S 5 desider July 2018 Senior Leader Comment Simon Dakin, Director ISTAR, talks to Desider about his career, improving delivery for customers and his team’s role in the response to the Salisbury chemical incident earlier this year As Director ISTAR – worked to assist the investigation day, that attracted me to DE&S. Intelligence, Surveillance, Target and clean-up operation. Having And I can honestly say that since Acquisition and Reconnaissance said that, I’m consistently DE&S will only joining I’ve never contemplated – I have a very diverse and impressed by the commitment leaving or going anywhere else. fascinating portfolio; the trouble shown by all our people. I think continue to In my opinion, DE&S will only is, a lot of it is highly classified and that seeing your hard work being improve and continue to improve and become I’m not able to tell you about it! put into practice and knowing an even more attractive place to As well as covering Special you’re making a personal become an work in future. The benefits we’re Projects for our unique and special contribution to our national even more starting to see as we embed our user community (including force security is really motivating and attractive new ways of working across the protection, intelligence collection, encourages everyone to go that organisation are making a huge surveillance and electronic extra mile. It certainly does for me. place to work difference to how we operate. warfare), I’m also responsible for I started my career with DE&S in future The combination of standing areas you may not necessarily around 25 years ago, and have up our functional model, expect. Military air traffic been at Abbey Wood since the alongside the roll-out of toolkits management, air command and day the site opened in 1996, but such as the P3M tool suite, has control systems, and ground based before that I was a scientist. I already allowed us to take greater air defence all fall under my remit, studied for my PhD in Nuclear ownership of our schedules and as do windfarms. Physics based at an international drive enhanced performance Another large component of research laboratory in the Alps through our suppliers. the ISTAR Operating Centre and then joined the MOD to do Looking ahead, my priorities for is the Chemical, Biological, mathematical modelling for the the coming year are to continue Radiological and Nuclear team, special weapons programme. As embedding the transformation who provide detection and much as I enjoyed being a research changes, including our toolkits and protection equipment. I envisaged scientist, I found I was becoming deployment, across the Operating the equipment we buy being used more and more specialised and Centre and to continue developing in overseas warzones, I never there were very few people in the our people so that they can achieve imagined it being used on the UK world I could talk to about my their potential. Ultimately, the aim mainland. Yet that’s exactly what research! of this is to ensure we can keep happened earlier this year with the It was the fascinating nature of delivering on our promises to chemical incident in Salisbury. defence procurement, in particular our customers and providing the The response from my team to the wide range of technical, necessary equipment and support the incident was hugely impressive commercial and financial of which I’m so proud.