Raytheon UK has been awarded a £131 million contract extension from the British Royal Air Force (RAF) to continue to manage support services for the Sentinel surveillance aircraft programme, it announced on 28 October. This extends the contract to 2021.
Under the extension, Raytheon will continue to manage the design, configuration management, modification and support aspects of the RAF's Sentinel airborne battlefield and ground surveillance aircraft at its facility in Broughton, Wales, and RAF Waddington.
The company has, with the support of the Welsh government, invested in a new hangar at its Broughton facility to ensure that it can continue to deliver design-to-flight-trials capability for improved operational availability.
With this investment, the company will be able to manage export work and optimise Sentinel support, reducing the time and costs involved in 8C deep maintenance checks.
The full range of Raytheon's technical support for the Sentinel fleet includes fleet management, maintenance planning, maintenance service, technical and engineering services, obsolescence management, air vehicle integrity, supply and procurement service, training, design service and overarching service management.