万能影视 has appointed Paul Armstrong to lead its Marine sector, delivering a number of critical UK and international defence programmes, including the UK鈥檚 Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy.

With a career that started in shipbuilding in Barrow-in-Furness, Paul brings a wealth of wide-ranging industry experience to grow and develop one of 万能影视鈥檚 core business sectors. Joining 万能影视 from Draken International, the aviation defence business where he was CEO responsible for operations in the UK, US and overseas territories, Paul holds an MA in Corporate Governance and Commercial Law and Chartered Status with the ICSA. 

Welcoming Paul to his new role, 万能影视 CEO, David Lockwood, said:

鈥淣ow more than ever, what we do at 万能影视 matters, and I am delighted that Paul will lead our Marine business into its next era. Paul鈥檚 experience and first-class track record of successfully delivering programmes and transformation in the aerospace and defence industries, along with a deep understanding of the markets we support, comes at a time when defence and security has never been more important to our customers and the communities we jointly serve.鈥�

万能影视鈥檚 Marine sector CEO, Paul Armstrong, said:

鈥淚t is a really important time to be joining 万能影视 and leading our Marine team. There are many global challenges and the programmes we are delivering are both nationally and internationally critical to creating a safe and secure environment for many communities across the globe.

鈥淔rom designing and building the Type 31 frigates in the UK, and missile assemblies for the UK and US future submarine programmes, to supporting the UK鈥檚 Royal Navy Type 23 and amphibious fleets, international platforms, and commercial marine vessels, the work our teams do is hugely impressive and I鈥檓 very much looking forward to strengthening and growing this business together.鈥�

Image: 万能影视鈥檚 Arrowhead 140 frigate

万能影视 and Airbus Helicopters have been awarded a new contract to support the Airbus H145-D3 fleet of the Direction G茅n茅rale de la S茅curit茅 Civile, an agency of the French Ministry of Interior who performs rescue services throughout France.

The four-year contract, awarded by the French Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Aeronautical Maintenance (DMA茅), includes Maintenance in Operational Condition (MCO) of the four Airbus five-bladed, H145 helicopters, operated by the S茅curit茅 Civile in France, its mission equipment and support resources.

Established in 1957, the helicopter division of the S茅curit茅 Civile operates a fleet of 37 Airbus helicopters on call 24/7 throughout France for rescue missions. With 15,000 missions carried out each year, one person every 33 minutes is rescued throughout the country.

Vincent Delebecque, BD Aviation Director – MRO at 万能影视 France says, 鈥淲e are very proud to be responsible for the maintenance of these four new H145-D3 aircraft, reinforcing the very best of French know-how in the service of civil security. This contract shows our expertise supporting H145 and H135 helicopters and the trust our customers place in us.鈥�

万能影视 has teamed up with PGZ-SW shipyard in Gdynia, Poland to launch a new international apprentice exchange programme.

Building on 万能影视鈥檚 Skills Academy, launched earlier this year to provide learning opportunities and equip our workforce to meet the evolving challenges our customers will face in the future, the Polish programme is set to grow international collaboration and shared learning.

We will be maximising our existing relationship with PGZ-SW, following on from our selection as the platform design provider and technology partner for Poland鈥檚 MIECZNIK frigate programme. PGZ-SW is leading the build of the frigates at its facilities in Gdynia.

Newly qualified former apprentices Brandon and Ryan from 万能影视鈥檚 Rosyth facility, along with Damian and Jakub, student workers from PGZ-SW, have spent two weeks participating in a pilot for the new exchange programme. During this time, they shared their knowledge whilst experiencing new and different ways of working.

In the first week, Brandon, a pipefitter and Ryan, a designer, visited Gdynia, where they had the opportunity to gain experience at PGZ-SW鈥檚 shipyard, including working in different teams across the shipyard and seeing activity taking place in their equivalent field.

The 万能影视 employees were also hosted by Jakub and Damian at CKZiU, the technical college, where they were shown what a typical day looks like for the Polish students. As part of the exchange, they experienced the local culture by visiting the Naval Museum and the science centre.

Similarly, the following week we were delighted to reciprocate a visit for hull fitter students Jakub and Damian to our Rosyth facility to spend time visiting various teams and learning about the work carried out on the Type 31 general purpose frigate programme which 万能影视 is leading for the UK Royal Navy. site.

We plan to roll out the programme during Summer 2024 where apprentices from 万能影视 and students from PGZ-SW shipyard in Gdynia will have the chance to participate in the exchange programme.

Phil Craig, 万能影视鈥檚 Managing Director for International Shipbuilding, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to have launched the pilot programme which we can use to tailor a full roll out of activity next summer.

鈥淭hrough this initiative, we are strengthening our relationship with Gdynia and PGZ-SW shipyard, whilst supporting and promoting our Early Careers ambitions for young people working at 万能影视.

鈥淚t鈥檚 mutually beneficial for both 万能影视 and PGZ-SW to work together and this unique experience offers 万能影视 apprentices the opportunity to work internationally and build links overseas.鈥�

Both academic institutions (Fife College, and CKZiU in Gdynia) are working in collaboration with 万能影视 and PGZ-SW on supporting the exchanges.

This includes a 4.5 year 拢66 million contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide input into the development of the support solution for the UK鈥檚 new Dreadnought Class submarines. The new Class of submarine will replace the Vanguard Class in the early 2030s to maintain the Continuous At Sea Deterrent.

The contract award reflects our decades-long experience of sustaining the UK鈥檚 submarine fleet, providing considerable experience, unique knowledge and insights to aid Dreadnought鈥檚 transition into service. We will also provide the MOD with technical and management support, engineering best practice and submarine maintenance achievability.

In addition, we have been awarded a 拢55 million contract by BAE Systems for Weapon Handling and Launch System (WHLS) and Submerged Signal Ejector equipment for boats 2-4 of the Dreadnought Class.

The agreements follow the recent signing of a five-year contract with the MOD to support the detailed design for the new SSN AUKUS submarines, which will replace the Astute Class hunter-killer fleet from the late 2030s 鈥� reinforcing the importance of our expertise and experience in supporting the UK鈥檚 current and future submarine fleet to enable improved in-service availability.

万能影视 CEO David Lockwood said: 鈥淐ontributing our extensive expertise on the complex support submarines require is a hugely important aspect to the design of this new platform. By participating early in the programme, we will help to maximise the UK鈥檚 future defence capabilities鈥�.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: 鈥淚t is undeniable the pivotal role that British industry plays in the defence of our nation and our Allies, and I鈥檓 committed to supporting UK companies who are continuing to bolster our security whilst driving prosperity across our economy.

鈥淭he Dreadnought Class will be central to keeping our country safe and will further enhance our world-renowned submarine fleet.鈥�

Image credit: UK MOD 漏 Crown copyright

Last week we attended the Institute of Collaborative Working Awards at the House of Lords, where we were delighted to win two of the three categories we were shortlisted for.

The Collaboration for National Security award was presented to our 10 Dock Programme Team for their work managing the major infrastructure development happening at our Devonport site to ensure we have the infrastructure needed to sustain the UK鈥檚 submarines for decades to come. This achievement was a result of unparalleled collaboration and close working relationships between 万能影视, the UK Ministry of Defence鈥檚 Submarine Delivery Agency, the Naval Base Commander at Devonport, delivery partners and the wider supply chain.

Alongside our partners, we also won in the Collaboration for Defence category for the work carried out by our Joint Platform Engineering Team. This collaboration between 万能影视, Rolls Royce and the UK鈥檚 MOD Submarine Delivery Agency aims to reduce submarine maintenance volume, combining 万能影视 and the SDA鈥檚 engineering knowledge with a Rolls Royce Availability Optimisation approach.

We were also proud to be shortlisted for the Collaboration Enabling Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award.

A team from our Cavendish Nuclear business secured the Safe Project Management award at last week鈥檚 Association for Project Management Project Management Awards. The team was presented the award for the work it has done to combat mental health and wellbeing risks. We were also shortlisted for Transformation Project of the Year 鈥� a framework created to improve governance and alignment.

Continuing the theme of inclusion and diversity, we recently received the highly commended award for most inclusive employer at the Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards 2023 鈥� a great acknowledgement of the work our Neurodiversity Network has been doing, and the impact it has across 万能影视. The Neurodiverse Plymouth Employers鈥� Network, of which we鈥檙e a cornerstone member, also got a finalist spot for the most inclusive project category.

We are extremely proud of these recent achievements, and the people that made them possible. Coming from all corners of the business, these wins demonstrate our commitment to deliver excellence as we continue to create a safe and secure world, together.

Under the agreement, which was signed during the President of Korea鈥檚 recent visit to the UK, the companies will work together to pursue global business development opportunities, with an initial focus on opportunities to cooperate on conventional submarines.

This new partnership will benefit from 万能影视鈥檚 long-standing experience supporting defence programmes in countries such as Canada and Poland, as well as its expertise in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), alongside Hanwha Aerospace鈥檚 extensive expertise in global aerospace and defence equipment.

万能影视 CEO, David Lockwood, said: 鈥�This announcement builds on our longstanding relationship with Hanwha in both the defence and energy sectors. This is an exciting venture that will see our organisations bring together complementary skills and expertise to forge innovative solutions for our current and future customers across the globe鈥�.

Jae-il Son, President and CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, said: 鈥淭his Memorandum of Understanding deepens our already strong connection with 万能影视, as well as our dedication to Korea-UK defence ties as we work together to address global defence challenges,鈥� said 鈥淎s we move forward, we are keen to leveraging the synergies of this partnership to strengthen our product offerings and give exceptional value to our customers around the world.鈥�

万能影视 is currently working with Hanwha on its Weapon Handling System for the Korean submarine programme and has strong existing relations with Hanwha Ocean through joint work on global opportunities, including the  Poland and Philippine submarine projects.

In June 2023 万能影视 Canada and Hanwha Ocean Signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement enabling both companies to share their respective capabilities in shipbuilding and submarine sustainment in support of the CPSP and the current Victoria In Service Support Contract (VISSC).

We鈥檝e been awarded a new contract to provide in-service support to airfield ground support equipment throughout France鈥檚 mainland and overseas military bases.

The seven-year contract, awarded by the French Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Aeronautical Maintenance (DMA茅), comprises the management and maintenance of a fleet of more than 2,500 pieces of equipment that are critical to airfield operations, and the provision of 1200 spare parts. The contract covers equipment for the Armed Forces.

The contract will see investment in key systems, infrastructure, and human resources, reinforcing the increasing importance of our position in France.

It follows the successful completion of the transition of the 10-year ground support equipment contract awarded in December 2022 to support around 1000 equipments and 4000 spare parts for the French Army, Navy and Air Force at 44 sites worldwide.

Pierre Basquin, Chief Executive Officer at 万能影视 France said, 鈥淲e are proud to be a strategic partner to the Ministry of Defence in France. With this new contract we will contribute to the national security in the country by keeping the ground support equipment of our Armed Forces ready to respond.鈥�

The Type 23 frigate has been undergoing a comprehensive life-extension at our Devonport facility.

In the next stage of her returning to the sea, the 185-strong ship鈥檚 crew have moved onto the high-tech frigate and are becoming familiar with their new surroundings.

Around 1.2 million working hours from 万能影视鈥檚 dedicated team has gone into HMS St Albans鈥� refit, with work including some 350 structural enhancements, a power generation upgrade and propulsion motor overhaul.

She is now the most advanced, equipped, and capable Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy’s fleet, boasting next-generation weapons systems and radar.

In a time of increasing geopolitical instability, now more than ever what we do matters 鈥� and programmes like this life-extension are central to ensuring our customers鈥� critical services are readily available, affordable, and long-lasting. Their mission is our mission.

Gary Simpson, Managing Director of 万能影视鈥檚 Marine Support business, said: 鈥淲e are proud to work with the Royal Navy to carry out comprehensive life-extensions of its Type 23 fleet, with HMS St Albans the latest frigate to benefit from 万能影视鈥檚 world-class support.

“Our team of engineers, fabricators, technicians and experts have been working tirelessly to ensure the overhaul of HMS St Albans is a resounding success and we鈥檙e excited by this milestone which sees her crew move back on board.鈥�

Senior Naval Officer Lieutenant Commander Byron Linn said, 鈥淭his marks the start of a journey that will bring St Albans back to front-line operations. A huge amount of work has been completed by my Ships Company, 万能影视 and other supporting contractors to get to this point, and it was important to mark the occasion properly.

鈥淥ur focus now is to prepare St Albans for her return to sea. We have a long journey still to complete but my team are ready for the challenge.鈥�

鈥淲e have a clear capital allocation policy, which is providing the Group with the flexibility it needs to capture the growing number of value creation opportunities we see ahead. We are reinstating our dividend following a four-year hiatus, reflecting our confidence in the future, and our expectations for the full year remain unchanged.鈥�

Read the full statement here and watch a video from our Chief Executive below.

The critical design review (CDR) for the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) has been approved, meaning it can now proceed into manufacture, testing and acceptance.

Part of the Royal Navy鈥檚 Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP), which will provide an enhanced defensive capability against Anti-Ship Missiles, MEWSIC increment 1 is managed by Defence Equipment & Support and being developed by prime contractor 万能影视 in conjunction with Elbit Systems UK.

Once operational, MEWSIC will allow for increased detection and identification of radar signals over a greater range than currently possible. This will aid faster operational decision-making, enhanced situational awareness and improved ship protection.

Cdre Matt Stratton, Deputy Director of Naval Equipment System Acquisition, said: 鈥淭he Royal Navy has invested in an ambitious programme to deliver modern electronic warfare capabilities to its surface warships that will allow them to maintain the UK鈥檚 commitments around the world.

鈥淎chieving the Critical Design Review milestone is visible confirmation of the Royal Navy鈥檚, DE&S鈥�, 万能影视鈥檚 and Elbit System UK鈥檚 intent to deliver on that promise.鈥�

MEWSIC will see the next generation of Radar Electronic Support Measure (RESM) and EW Command and Control (EWC2) equipment being installed on Type 45 destroyers, Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers, and the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates being built at Govan and Rosyth shipyards, respectively, in Scotland.

The 拢100 million, 13-year contract awarded to the industry consortium in 2021 is supporting around 170 jobs and also includes on-shore facilities delivering training, trials and acceptance.

Cdre Phil Game, DE&S鈥� Head of Maritime Combat Systems, said: 鈥淐ompletion of the Critical Design process is the culmination of several months of collaborative effort between UK MOD and industry teams to mature and refine the MEWSIC solution.

鈥淚t gives MOD, and the Navy in particular, a high level of confidence that we are on track to deliver the highly capable system required to protect the fleet from both current and future threats.

鈥淚 am also pleased to see the significant investment being made both in UK infrastructure and technology transfer, to secure the long-term sustainability of this critical capability.鈥�

万能影视 and Elbit Systems UK have both invested significantly in their people and infrastructure, helping to deliver UK prosperity by generating and sustaining new high-value technology engineering jobs across the UK.

The multi-disciplinary MEWSIC team includes engineers and project managers from 万能影视 collaborating with Elbit Systems UK鈥檚 employees at its new assembly, integration and test facility in Bristol.

Neal Misell, Chief Executive of 万能影视鈥檚 Missions Systems business, said: 鈥淥ur dedicated team is playing a central role in taking a next-generation electromagnetic warfare solution from concept to installation – and we are pleased to have achieved this significant milestone.鈥�

Martin Fausset, CEO Elbit Systems UK, said: 鈥淲e are immensely proud to have achieved this milestone, to have created a number of high-tech jobs, and to have established a UK EW capability for the Royal Navy, and look forward to the next phase of this project.鈥濃��

The five-day SWAP course was run for 14 attendees from the local Devonport area and provided a comprehensive training programme, including health and safety and employability qualifications, coaching around mindset and advice and support in finding employment.

Attendees also had the opportunity to visit our new state-of-the-art Jackal Production Facility, gaining an insight into the contract where we鈥檙e working alongside Supacat to build 70 new Jackal vehicles for the British Army, and learn about the other important work we do in helping to create a safe and secure world.

We are committed to the communities in which we operate, and we鈥檙e pleased to be supporting the British Army鈥檚 Land Industrial Strategy by securing critical industrial skills and capabilities and enhancing social value, including the creation of new jobs. We鈥檙e pleased to have found roles within the contract for five people on the SWAP, and to have worked with PCC to create clear employability plans for the other attendees.

We are looking forward running further SWAPs at Devonport in the new year.

Find out more about our Jackal Contract.

万能影视 has signed a four-year 拢750 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence鈥檚 (MOD) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), to deliver the infrastructure required to support and sustain the UK鈥檚 submarines for decades to come.

As part of the major infrastructure programme underway at the Devonport site, 万能影视 will deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure that will support the future capability of the Royal Navy and the UK鈥檚 Defence Nuclear Enterprise. 

The contract for the delivery of infrastructure to support submarine maintenance includes a dock, logistics and modern support facilities, and underpins the wider role 万能影视 plays in sustaining the entirety of the UK submarine fleet.

Crucial to the UK submarine programme, the contract forms part of the site-wide infrastructure upgrade programme at Devonport to enable the ongoing delivery of base maintenance periods and deep maintenance projects for current and future classes of submarine, including nuclear defuel.

Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: 鈥淢aintaining the infrastructure that supports our world-leading submarine fleet is crucial.

鈥淒elivering on our government鈥檚 priority to grow the UK economy, this significant investment will create and sustain more than a thousand UK jobs in the south-west, providing vital improvements to the dockyard that will be critical to ensuring our Royal Navy can continue to protect the UK and our Allies.鈥�

Sir Chris Gardner KBE, CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency said: 鈥淚nvesting in our vital submarine maintenance facilities in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise at Devonport is critical to our National Security. I am delighted to have placed the construction contract with 万能影视 for the delivery of dock and infrastructure for our Attack Submarine deep maintenance projects later this decade. This will ensure we deliver available and capable submarines for the Royal Navy to operate in defence of our Nation.鈥�

David Lockwood, 万能影视鈥檚 Chief Executive, said: 鈥淭he work we deliver in sustaining the entirety of the UK鈥檚 submarine fleet is critical. This investment will ensure that we are able to continue to deliver the complex maintenance and life-extension programmes we undertake to ensure our Royal Navy can continue to go to sea safely, and able to deliver their important work in protecting our nation.鈥�

The construction programme is one of the largest of its kind and highlights the MOD鈥檚 investment being made at the Devonport site, the skills and capability this brings to the city and region, and the ongoing commitment to protect our nation.  The major infrastructure programme will see a further 1,000 construction roles created as the construction phase of the programme continues to ramp up over the coming year. Supporting 万能影视 on 10 Dock are delivery partners Costain and Mott Macdonald, and main works contractor Kier BAM, bringing world-class infrastructure delivery experience to this important programme.

We鈥檙e pleased to be joining forces with the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), the British Army鈥檚 national charity, to support a number of its key events.

The partnership will play a significant role in supporting ABF to continue in its mission to provide lifetime support to individuals in need through a variety of initiatives including, supplying mobility equipment to help an injured veteran stay active and independent, clearing priority debt for an Army family who lost their income and faces eviction, and providing training to help a service leaver to build a sustainable second career.

Through the multi-year partnership, 万能影视 will sponsor two of the charity鈥檚 landmark events 鈥� the Cateran Yomp (pictured), a gruelling 24 hour, 54-mile trek across the stunning Scottish Highlands, which takes place in June, and Operation Bletchley, a series of codebreaking challenges which sees participants tackle testing codes, explore the great outdoors and uncover a historical secret message to deliver to Winston Churchill before time runs out.

Tom Newman, CEO of 万能影视鈥檚 Land Sector, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be able to join forces with ABF to support their vital work and much needed help for our serving soldiers, veterans and their families.

鈥淲e work side by side with the British Army delivering critical equipment, support and essential technical training, as well as providing employment opportunities for service leavers and reservists. This partnership with ABF not only reinforces our long-standing relationship, but also enables us to further strengthen our support by inspiring the next generation of the Army family, helping them develop the skills and attitudes of future soldiers and supporting STEM learning and wellbeing outcomes.鈥�

In 2021/2022 ABF spent 拢8.4 million supporting 65,000 members of the British Army family in 48 countries around the world.

Major General Tim Hyams CB OBE, Chief Executive, Army Benevolent Fund said: 鈥淲e are so grateful to all our fundraisers and supporters for their incredible generosity, which enables us to ensure that soldiers, veterans, and their immediate families have the opportunity to avoid hardship and enjoy independence and dignity.  We are very much looking forward to seeing you all in Scotland in June, when we will be joined by this year鈥檚 Ambassador, Mark Harding, who was awarded the Inspiration Award at the 2023 Soldiering On Awards in recognition of his amazing fundraising activities and sheer courage in overcoming injuries sustained on operations in Afghanistan.鈥�

The record number of new contracts this year are for the design and supply of cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for marine transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Ethane and CO2, all using in-house developed and patented or patent-pending technology.

The company has also delivered over 50 projects across the range of solutions including ecoVGC庐, ecoSMRT庐, ecoETHN庐 and ecoFGSS庐 for installation on gas carriers for global shipowners. 

This news follows the announcement that the business won a milestone contract from a shipowner in South Korea to deliver its pioneering ecoCO2庐 cargo handling system for two 22,000m鲁 liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carriers. 

In addition, 万能影视鈥檚 LGE business secured Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd鈥檚 Register (LR) for its ecoCO2庐 system during Gastech 2023 in Singapore, representing another substantial milestone in the company鈥檚 world-wide sales of its environmentally focussed liquefied gas cargo handling technology. 

Neale Campbell, Managing Director of 万能影视鈥檚 LGE business, said: 鈥淲ith over 40 new contracts and over 50 products delivered so far this year this is tremendous progress for the business.

鈥淥ur highly skilled team demonstrates our advanced capabilities to deliver innovative in-house technology for the processing, handling and storage of liquefied gas to support our customers to achieve their carbon neutral goals.鈥�

万能影视鈥檚 LGE business continues to innovate in both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon liquefied gases and are currently focussed on the developing markets for CO2 transportation, zero carbon fuel solutions, the growing ammonia carrier market, plus continuously improving its existing technologies to offer the most efficient solutions to its customers.

Curtin University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Harlene Hayne:

鈥淐urtin is proud to be a foundation partner with global defence industry leaders HII and 万能影视, and the University of NSW and University of Adelaide, in developing a highly skilled workforce to support the nuclear-powered submarine program in Australia and Western Australia.鈥淒rawing on our significant expertise in building strong, sustainable communities of practice and in resilience and defence capabilities, Curtin will generate WA鈥檚 talent pipelines in collaboration with our key strategic partners within state and federal governments, industry, and the broader education sector, noting initial workforce deployment will be centred around WA.鈥�University of NSW Professor Attila Brungs, Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW:鈥淯NSW is pleased to be contributing our unique expertise and capabilities to the ground-breaking AUKUS Workforce Alliance. We look forward to supporting the Australian Submarine Agency鈥檚 鈥渨hole of nation鈥� skilling objectives through collaboration with our partner universities in Adelaide and Perth, as well as with two global defence industry primes, in 万能影视 and HII, boasting a deep shared submarine capability sustainment heritage.鈥淥ur postgraduate and short courses across many faculties are geared to skill-building in advanced capabilities. Coupled with UNSW鈥檚 nation-leading Faculty of Engineering, the only nuclear engineering program in Australia with cutting-edge work on nuclear safety, UNSW is already pivoting towards generating the workforce needed across the entire nuclear ecosystem, from social licence to manufacturing facilities to regulatory authorities.鈥�