Aerospace Sector enters New Era

BAE Systems opened a new chapter in the region's long and illustrious aerospace history with the official on-time handover to its US partner Lockheed Martin of the first aft fuselage of the F-35 Lightning II short take-off and vertical landing aircraft.

The April ceremony in front of a gathering of industry VIPs, designers and engineers at the company's Samlesbury factory marked a milestone in the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the Joint Strike Fighter programme, the world's largest defence contract.

By summer the F-35 manufacturing teams based at three Northwest factories - Warton, Samlesbury, Woodford - will have completed the first vertical and horizontal tails for the aircraft ahead of its first flight in 2008. Production will be ramped up to one a day by 2014, a pace never seen before in the military aircraft industry.

BAE Systems' input has set new standards for design innovation, precision engineering and advanced lean manufacture, according to Tom Fillingham, the company's Managing Director for the programme.

"We have invested heavily in the design process, developing technologies like digital thread which has been adopted by our US partners. This has made things a lot simpler and helps drive down the cost of assembly," he explained.

The demonstration phase is estimated to be worth £1.3 billion to BAE Systems but production contracts for the three F35 variants over time could boost the order book to over £12 billion securing employment for thousands of Northwest aerospace workers, many in the supply chain.

With an estimated turnover of £6.8 billion and a workforce of 60,000 in nearly 1,000 companies engaged in aerospace plays a pivotal role in the Northwest economy.
Over the next four years the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the Northwest Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), the business support cluster organisation, will intensify their efforts to improve the sector's global competitiveness, its ability to innovate and its long-term sustainability.

Projects underway or in the pipeline include a supply chain excellence programme, an aeropark at Samlesbury, an environmentally friendly engine programme and a project related to Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAV) - intelligent pilotless aircraft - which many believe is the future of defence procurement.

The two organisations are also working to develop niches in systems engineering, virtual engineering and composites/flexible materials technology, areas where Northwest universities excel.

Mark Tooth, Sector Leader for Advanced Engineering and Materials at the NWDA, rejects any notion that aerospace is entering a 'sunset' phase. "The industry is changing and there are formidable challenges ahead but there are fantastic opportunities like the Joint Strike Fighter, the UAVs and potentially on the civil side in the next generation of aero engines."

The Agency's increasing support for the sector is exemplified by its decision to invest £4.2 million in the NWAA's drive to elevate Tier 2 supply companies to world-class status. The funding will allow it to continue with its well-supported supply chain workshops and move into a dynamic new phase of developing advanced skills and leadership.

BAE Systems, Airbus and Rolls Royce, who are the main providers of work in the region, have agreed to supply over 20 "mentors" - senior manufacturing people - to work with
key suppliers to improve specific elements of their operation.

"It's a complex programme and companies have to commit to the change process if they want to be world-class," explains NWAA's Executive Director, Martin Wright.

The sector is facing two great challenges, argues Wright. One is the future of manned aircraft and how the industry manages the transition to the era of UAVs, the other is the need to move from reliance on component manufacturing to systems engineering, the knowledge end of the aerospace industry.

"We have to move up the food chain and the rate at which we move up that ladder is critical. The supply chain programme certainly addresses the issue of accelerated change to match the threat emerging from lower-cost economies such as China and India."

Aerospace forms a main feature of the new Northwest Science Strategy launched in April and is a priority sector in the Regional Economic Strategy because of its high-value impact on Northwest business. The average GVA per person in aerospace is £63,505, more than twice that of the region's service sector.

Mark Tooth expects some consolidation in the industry, after which there will be major trade opportunities for Northwest firms in the UK and overseas. Several projects backed by the NWDA underline the potential of the technological advances being made in aerospace.

For example, the Agency is investing £3.7 million in the ASTRAEA project, which is looking at how to overcome the technological, experimental and regulatory hurdles that will allow UAVs to operate in civil airspace.

It is also working with a consortium led by Rolls Royce which is engaged on developing the next generation of environmentally friendly civil aero engines.

For further information: www.aerospace.co.uk