Rolls-Royce has signed a service contract worth £690m with the MoD to support the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Tornado aircraft.
Under the terms of the new RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (ROCET2) contract, which runs until 2025, Rolls-Royce will provide the RAF with a guaranteed level of availability for its RB199 engines, spares and ground support equipment. The new agreement includes additional support elements, such as the development of engine health monitoring techniques designed to improve operational capability.
Rolls-Royce has been contracted to support the RAF’s RB199 engine fleet since December 2005, consistently meeting 100% of the performance requirements from the outset. Chris Awde, Rolls-Royce sales and commercial director, Defence Aerospace, said: “Over the four-year period of the ROCET contract we have developed a partnership approach with the UK Ministry of Defence and met every engine availability target that has been set.
“The frontline Royal Air Force Tornado squadrons now enjoy a guaranteed level of engine availability and significant savings in their engine support costs. ROCET 2 will enable us to deliver an even higher level of support for the next 15 years.”
Rolls-Royce undertakes all aspects of RB199 engine support, including the provision of replacement engines to meet customer demands, and technical support both on-base and from the Rolls-Royce Operations Centre in Bristol.
Rolls-Royce support operations are centred at the Tornado Propulsion Facility at RAF Marham, but extend to cover two other Main Operating Bases at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars where the RAF’s Tornado squadrons are also based. From RAF Marham, a team comprising both Rolls-Royce and RAF personnel manages the engine support for aircraft operations in the field and also carries out some engine repairs. This will be augmented in 2010 by the transfer of the RB199 engine strip, build and test capability to the Rolls-Royce facility in Bristol.
