A £173 million UK MoD training contract with Draken Europe will support jobs across Teesside, Bournemouth and the Midlands.
~
Press Release, Whitehall, 29 January 2025: A £173 million Ministry of Defence training contract with British business Draken will boost Teesside International Airport and support jobs across Teesside, Bournemouth and the Midlands.
In addition to strengthening our national security, the deal will maintain vital infrastructure in the North East and support more than 200 UK jobs. The new contract will deliver Armed Forces training for responding to a range of threats – including air-to-air combat, electronic warfare and missile attacks.
Using a fleet of aircraft, Draken will simulate threats for UK personnel, including:
- Air-to-air combat.
- Missile attacks.
- Attacks on ships from aircraft.
Defence Minister Maria Eagle announced the deal today on a visit to Teesside International Airport. Through live exercises with UK personnel over the North Sea, Draken private pilots will replicate the tactics and techniques of a range of adversaries. Using the latest electronic warfare technology, Draken will also train Royal Naval personnel to protect Carrier Strike Group assets from air and missile attacks and train Army personnel to quickly receive reconnaissance and intelligence information on enemy forces from the air. Altogether, this training will ensure that our Armed Forces receive demanding and realistic training, meeting NATO standards.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said: “This investment will deliver world-class training for our Armed Forces and boost British business, jobs and national security.”
To deliver the training, Draken will use 14 Dassault Falcon 20, one Diamond DA42 and eight L-159E ‘Honey Badger’ fighter jets based at Teesside and Bournemouth. Draken will enrol a minimum of 12 apprentices at both sites.
Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice Marshal Mark Flewin said: “Our partnership with Draken is of fundamental importance as we continue to train and prepare all of our front-line forces to meet emerging threats across the globe.
“The training delivered to date, simulating adversary threats while also allowing us to train in a representative and contested electro-magnetic environment, has never been more important to ensure the Royal Air Force is ready and able to support NATO and meet the threats of tomorrow.
“The contract will allow us to continue to evolve the high-end training available for all of our front-line forces, as we look to out-compete our potential adversaries.”
Nic Anderson, CEO at Draken, said: “We are proud to continue serving the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Army through the Interim Medium Speed Operational Readiness Training Services.
“Our purpose is to provide leading edge operational training to help the warfighter to be ready to fight and win. Through this ground-breaking contract we will continually innovate to improve their training experience.
“Thank you to the whole Draken team who work relentlessly to support our customers, it is the high performance that the Draken team delivers every day that has enabled this contract win.”
~