AgustaWestland has further strengthened its Integrated Operational Support (IOS) capability for helicopter fleets by teaming with leading defence company Serco as a strategic sub-contractor.
Serco, one of the key players in defence markets worldwide, was recently awarded a multi million pound Multi-Activity Contract (MAC) by the UK Naval Air Command to provide a range of support services at Naval Air Stations.
This contract success prompted AgustaWestland and Serco to offer a joint approach to future rotary wing support for the UK Ministry of Defence.
Designed and developed by AgustaWestland, IOS represents a step change in the way the performance of military helicopter fleets can be enhanced.
It provides a focused, comprehensive ‘cradle to grave’ integrated support service which also delivers significant savings.
IOS involves the transfer of risk and responsibility for key support services to industry from the customer and provides continuously improving fleet availability and reduced cost of through-life ownership.
Originally pioneered for the UK fleet of Sea King helicopters, IOS is also being applied to the fleet of Merlin Mk.1 and Mk.3 helicopters operated by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
IOS meets the Government’s requirement for increased contractorisation of logistics support. It is also a key element in the achievement of the Chief of Defence Logistics’ (CDL) strategic goal of ensuring the future effectiveness of the UK’s Armed Services while reducing support costs through life.
The AgustaWestland teaming with Serco is a direct response to the MOD’s Pathfinder initiative which focuses on frontline operational capability, rather than the on-demand availability of support materiel and services.
This industrial alliance brings a number of important synergies to the logistics capability business:
--Coherent management and organisation at local and central levels
--Proactive management of supply chain risks and fragility, giving efficiency, agility and effectiveness
--A fully integrated and coherent approach to through-life support with effective single-system asset tracking
--‘End to end’ supply chain stabilisation, with demand output matched to supply chain performance from raw materials to operations
--‘Lean’ and focused delivery at point of use, offering agile sustainment for expeditionary deployments with reduced logistics footprints
--Firm commitment to align helicopter support to the provision of full military capability in line with MOD’s strategic logistics vision
--Incentivised output performance and continuous improvement in support delivery linked to gain-share
--Pooling of industrial intellectual property to the benefit of customer service delivery
--Optimisation of maintenance between forward deployments and deep maintenance facilities
--Identification of the cultural shifts required within industry, the operational customer and the MOD’s Integrated Project Teams (IPTs)
--Commitment to reduce through life costs of ownership
The new alliance between AgustaWestland and Serco will provide the MOD with a unique partnering opportunity for future support with an unrivalled potential to accelerate the MOD’s logistics capability vision.
BACKGROUND NOTES:
AgustaWestland is one of the largest helicopter companies in the world. The company offers an unrivaled range of helicopters designed to satisfy the most diverse requirements of civil and military customers. Committed to delivering outstanding products and services, AgustaWestland is capable of supporting wide-ranging missions in globally competitive markets. AgustaWestland has its primary operations in Cascina Costa, Italy, and Yeovil, United Kingdom. AgustaWestland has two subsidiaries in the USA: AgustaWestland Inc located in Arlington, Virginia and Agusta Aerospace Corporation located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where helicopters are assembled and customized for the US market.
Serco is one of the world's leading public service companies operating on a global basis in a diverse range of sectors, including defence and aerospace, science, public transport and traffic management, health, education, justice and local government.
Serco Defence and Aerospace provides change management, integration and service delivery to the UK Ministry of Defence, civil aviation and related industries within the UK and Europe, employing over 5,000 people at approximately 120 locations.
Serco Defence and Aerospace specialises in developing innovative integrated solutions for Private Finance Initiatives and Public Private Partnerships such as Joint Services Command and Staff College, Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility and Skynet 5.
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AgustaWestland Strengthens Integrated Operational Support Capability
