Fighter renews aerospace confidence

The contract will benefit 14 aerospace plants in England

The world's biggest military procurement programme in history will renew confidence in the UK's aerospace industry.

BAe Systems is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the £140bn plan, to build at least 3,000 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft over the next 20 years.

Lockheed Martin beat Boeing to the contract, which was announced on Friday night.

In Lancashire alone, up to 3,000 jobs could be created by the programme, out of the expected 8,500 across the UK.

UK companies with JSF involvement

BAe Systems, Warton & Samlesbury

BAe Systems, Rochester

Rolls-Royce, Bristol

Smiths Aerospace, Bristol & Basingstoke

TRW-Lucas, Solihull

Ultra-Electronics, Cheltenham

Flight Refuelling, Wimborne

Matra-BAe Dynamics, Stevenage

Aerospace Composite Technologies, Rochester

Martin Baker Aircraft Company, Uxbridge

ARA, Bedford

Honeywell Normalair-Garrett, Yeovil

QinetiQ, Farnborough

Bombardier, Belfast

Cytec Engineering, Wrexham

According to Michael Jack, MP for Fylde in Lancashire, whose constituency includes BAe's Warton and Samlesbury plants, prospects will be much brighter from Monday.

Despite avoiding the heavy job losses that have affected the civil aviation industry since the US terrorist attacks on 11 September, Mr Jack said BAe did have an uncertain future.

Speaking to BBC News Online on Saturday, he said: "There is certain to be a degree of confidence at BAe Systems, and across Lancashire, that wasn't there at the end of last week.

"BAe Systems has already been taking on people with the skills to contribute to building the initial consignment of 22 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

Skilled workers

"But the fact that over the next 20 years, 3,000 of these fighters are set to be built, there will be a need for many more skilled workers."

However, he warned that there would not be "workers wanted" signs outside BAe's plants on Monday.

If people were concerned about the future of BAe...those concerns have been allayed by this announcement

Michael Jack, MP for Fylde, Lancashire

"It is relevant here to think back to 1986,"he said. "Which was when the first prototypes for the Eurofighter were built.

"It has not been until this year that those fighters have gone into full production.

"But what this means, is that if people were concerned about the future of BAe over the next 15 to 20 years, those concerns have been allayed by this announcement."

Roger Lyons, general secretary of the Manufacturing Science and Finance Union, agreed that the news is welcome boost following job cuts because of the US terrorist attacks last month.

"This brings a ray of hope for the troubled aerospace industry," he said.

Boeing lost the contract but will still expand in the UK

Mr Jack said BAe would bring key skills to the eventual construction of the JSF, most importantly the expertise in building short take-off and vertical-landing aircraft.

Job losses

"An indication of the esteem in which BAe is held around the world, is the fact that in September, Simon Hargreaves, the company's test pilot, was the first non-American to fly the JSF," added Mr Jack.

In Bristol, nearly 1,000 jobs are expected to be created at Rolls Royce, following the announcement.

The news comes after the civil arm of the company announced that 3,800 jobs will go in Derby.

Workers in the city will welcome news of any knock-on benefits of the Bristol boost.

BAe Systems and Aerospace Composite Technologies, in Rochester, Kent, will also benefit from the announcement.

Paul Clark, MP for Gillingham, said it was particularly good news after the closure of the Royal Naval dockyard at Chatham.

He said: "It has taken a long time to rebuild confidence of people in the Medway area, where the company is based.

"And of course, not only is it good news for aerospace workers, there will also be significant knock-on benefits to other businesses in the area, because of the potential attraction for more inward investment."

But John Taylor, MP for Solihull, where TRW-Lucas will be involved in the production of a weapons bay door drive system, welcomed the news with caution.

He said: "I would give two cheers to this, not three. This is due to the fact that the news comes on the back of rather disappointing news of potential job losses at TRW.

"They've been having a rather thin time recently."

However, Boeing, which has lost out on the deal to Lockheed Martin, announced it will still go ahead with plans to expand in the UK.

A spokesman said the company will move to new offices, and continue to invest in UK manufactured aerospace equipment, which is valued at £1.6bn.

He said: "We will be looking at options for joint ventures, mergers and possibly acquisitions," he said.