Memorandum from The Boeing Company
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Boeing is the world's leading aerospace
company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and
military aircraft, with capabilities in rotorcraft, electronic
and defence systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and
advanced information and communication systems. Headquartered
in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., Boeing employs more than 160,000 people
in more than 70 countries.
2. With around 600 employees in the
UK Boeing has a long standing relationship dating back over 70 years.
Boeing's annual spend in the aerospace industry supports thousands
of jobs around the UK, in the process generating intellectual
property and facilitating exports.
3. The Boeing Company also has an extensive
network of industrial and academic partners and suppliers across
the UK. Boeing works with a number of universities in the UK and
has established multi-year collaborative research and technology
relationships with several including Cambridge, Cranfield and
Sheffield.
BOEING DEFENCE
UK LTD.
4. A subsidiary of The Boeing Company and
a business unit of Boeing's Integrated Defence Systems, Boeing
Defence UK Ltd. currently has employees at 20 locations throughout
the UK supporting Ministry of Defence (MoD) and U.S. military
programmes. Boeing Defence UK is strengthening its ability to
accommodate future business growth having invested in new facilities
and technologies particularly in the systems engineering, sustainment
and modelling and simulation domains.
5. As a system-of-systems integrator, Boeing
Defence UK is positioned to support through-life system-of-systems
programme management of complex defence programmes. Along with
engineering and integration, as an integrator Boeing Defence UK
delivers through-life capability management, through-life technology
management, alliance development and supply chain management.
6. One such way Boeing Defence UK is delivering
capability is through the company's Analysis, Modelling &
Simulation facility, The Portal, located in Farnborough with partner
QinetiQ. The Portal enables future military hardware and software
solutions to be assessed in a variety of operational environments.
Comprised of personnel from Boeing Defence UK and QinetiQ, The
Portal is tasked with providing a robust experimental architecture
including a realistic scenario, detailed mission briefs and, most
importantly, a rigorous analysis plan.
7. Delivery of military capability is a
cornerstone of business for Boeing Defence UK. Boeing's extensive
capabilities can be seen in the variety of platforms that are
continually enhancing the operational effectiveness of the UK
armed forces. From the C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft
and the heavy-lift capability of the Chinook, to the Apache AH
MK1 attack helicopter, Boeing platforms, and the services
provided to support these and other platforms, are making a major
contribution to the frontline.
CHINOOK
8. Boeing originally introduced the Chinook
in 1962, and the first models served in the Vietnam War. Since
their introduction, new models have been produced, and further
upgrades are planned to extend the Chinook helicopter's service
life beyond 2030. The Chinook is therefore the longest running
continual production programme in The Boeing Company.
9. Chinooks have since served around the
world, both during conflicts, and increasingly on humanitarian
missions such as medical, disaster relief, search and rescue,
fire fighting, and civil development. The helicopters are under
licensed production by Agusta of Italy and Kawasaki in Japan with
aircraft built by Agusta having been exported to Egypt, Greece,
Iran, Libya and Morocco.
10. The RAF operates the third largest fleet
of Chinook support helicopters. The Chinook Wing, which forms
the heavy-lift element of the Joint Helicopter Command, is based
at RAF Odiham in Hampshire. The Chinooks can carry 10 tonnes
of freight or 54 troops, as well as underslung loads, and
the cabin is large enough to accommodate two Land Rovers. RAF
Chinooks are also used in Search and Rescue and Casualty Evacuation,
and can carry a total of 24 stretchers. The aircraft has
an unsurpassed "hot and high" capability making it particularly
well suited to operations in Afghanistan.
UK CHINOOK—THROUGH
LIFE CUSTOMER
SUPPORT PROGRAMME
11. Description & Purpose: The
UK Chinook Through Life Customer Support (TLCS) programme is a
performance-based logistics agreement with the UK Ministry of
Defence, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organisation
that provides heavy maintenance, engineering technical support,
supply chain management including spares forecasting and procurement,
aircraft and component repairs, publications management, and modification
services for the UK's fleet of 40 Mk2/2a Chinook helicopters.
12. The UK Chinook TLCS programme guarantees
to provide 27 aircraft available on a daily basis. Out of
those aircraft, Boeing has exceeded serviceability goals with
greater than 95 percent serviceable and ready to support
RAF operations. Boeing has partnered with Vector Aerospace (formerly,
the UK MoD Defence Aviation and Repair Agency) to capitalize on
local resources while infusing Boeing technical and lean expertise
into UK Chinook operations to improve the helicopter fleet's readiness
while reducing costs.
13. Customer: The UK Chinook Integrated
Product Team (CHIPT) is based at RNAS Yeovilton in southwest England.
The contract or "Partnering Agreement" with Boeing is
through 2040, with pricing negotiated in five-year increments.
Boeing and the CHIPT also have aspirations to grow the TLCS scope
to include engines and avionics making Boeing TLCS the single
point of accountability.
14. Strategic Value: TLCS is the
first major international, direct commercial sale, performance-based-logistics
programme for Boeing Global Services & Support. The MoD is
using TLCS as a benchmark for future performance-based support
contracts. Boeing's TLCS performance will be considered in future
platform acquisitions as well as expansion for AH-64 Apache
FSA, and other future support programs. TLCS is also being watched
by the Netherlands and Canada for their prospective Chinook support
programmes. Boeing is also promoting this type of support approach
for the US Army Chinook fleet.
15. Performance/Key Milestones: Boeing
has exceeded programme serviceability (mission capability) and
aircraft availability goals for the last 13 months. Boeing
assumed full supply chain responsibility for the UK Chinooks on
17 October 2007. On 14 December 2007 Boeing and
representatives from the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence
signed a $115 million contract to reconfigure eight Mk3 Chinook
helicopters to current Mk2 flight standards. As the MK3 aircraft
enter service in 2009, they will also be supported under the TLCS
programme.
16. Apache Integrated Operational Support
(AIOS) is a similar PBL programme developed specifically for
the UK Apache attack helicopter fleet. Boeing Defence UK is supporting
the evaluation of AIOS alongside its current support contracts
with AgustaWestland. The partnership experienced on programmes
such as Apache and Chinook and capabilities such as The Portal
is not only critical to Boeing's success but to the success of
the customer.
CONCLUSION
17. In the words of the Committee's terms
of reference, this submission has sought to provide information
on current procurement and maintenance projects and in particular,
the UK Chinook Through Life Customer Support (TLCS) programme.
TLCS has been a very effective way of providing performance-based
support for the UK Chinook fleet and is being reviewed as a model
for future performance support programmes.
3 April 2009
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