BAE redundancies at Warton / Samelsbury ?

[mudcity]

BBC reporting an imminent announcement of significant job losses at BAE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-la ... e-41556207

if accurate a real blow to a highly skilled workforce

[Punkrunner62]

Saw this on BBC News earlier,they said up to 1000 redundancies.A real blow to the employees and the local economy.

[GaryS]

Just announced nearly 2000 jobs to go!

[bizfreeq]

That figure is across the whole of BAe Systems UK, not all from the two factories in the title. Still not good though

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41566841

[slogen51]

What annoys me is that the Typhoon lost out to the Rafale (largely on price I think) in a large Indian contact.

Have they even started building the Rafale for India yet?

[bizfreeq]

Possibly not but aren't due for delivery until 2019

[Vulcanone]

It depends what you refer to slogen51.

The Contract that the Typhoon originally lost out to Rafale was the 126 aircraft MMRCA order. Which went slightly left of pear shaped as they wanted HAL to build them IIRC.

I think the current Rafale purchase is down to 40 airframes??

[Geoff Hyde]

Perhaps not so surprising as it seems that BAe have no future proposals for military aircraft unless someone knows to the contrary. What perplexs me is that as the UK is a MAJOR contributor to the F-35 programme we seem to have got little from it in exchange. How come Italy got an assembly line and not Warton. If I can be unlightened to any benefits that the UK is getting I would like to know.

[Fighterfoto]

15% by value of 3000+ F-35s will be UK manufactured securing 25,000 UK jobs in 500+ companies nationwide until 2040. We get all the R&D benefit for a 2% contribution to cost.

[jetnoise]

I live in Preston and know people who work at Warton and Samlesbury. There are about 750 posts to go, across shop floor, office staff and managers. The company have a fairly good record (esp. at W&S) I am told in avoiding compulsory redundancies through voluntary redundancy and redeployment.

As for the F-35 F/A line - I understand the UK govt didnt want to pay for this to save money. My contacts tell me BAES is hoping to get business in the support area across the worldwide F-35 fleet but nothing is guaranteed.
Given the protectionist stance of the Trump administration (take the C-series tarriffs as an example) I can't see the US / LM letting much work out to BAE in the UK. Only time will tell.

In the meantime my thoughts are with those affected by the job cust and their families.

[acw367]

BAE Systems own making. As a private company, when your product catalogue - Typhoon and Hawk compete in crowded market sectors and are old expensive designs then they do not win orders. Typhooon first flight 1994. Hawk 120 late 1990s

Years ago BAE Systems should have diversified to less crowded market sectors or produced indigenous 4.5 to fifth gen aircraft to win orders against F-35. Where is the Turboprop armed glass trainer to compete against PC-21 and T-6. Where is the operational RPAS to compete against MQ-9, Thales and Israeli products. Producing Herti and Taranis as technology demonstrators are not at the same pace as General Atomics or IAI. This article from 2005 era is telling of how since BAE Systems have not kept up with the pack on World Arms sales. http://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/our-com ... r--drone--

"BAE Systems has developed the technologies and agile project management techniques, to be a leading player in this market." that says - Are they a leading player in RPAS 12 years on from that statement??

Perhaps not so surprising as it seems that BAe have no future proposals for military aircraft unless someone knows to the contrary. What perplexs me is that as the UK is a MAJOR contributor to the F-35 programme we seem to have got little from it in exchange. How come Italy got an assembly line and not Warton. If I can be unlightened to any benefits that the UK is getting I would like to know.

DECA North Wales have the MRO function for the extensive avionics boxes, through life support. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-w ... pport-work BAE Systems did not compete for this or the airframe MRO contract.

[Yorker]

It really is very sad to see such an iconic site as Warton, with it's history of classic aircraft production being allowed to gradually decline. The loss of so many high-tech jobs is not good news for either the country or the Preston area.
On the subject of future projects, it appears that the Germans and French are going ahead without us to manufacture the successor to Rafale. According to the Reuter's article below it's unlikely the UK would be involved in this.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fran ... SKBN19Y1FJ

[PR9]

On the subject of future projects, it appears that the Germans and French are going ahead without us to manufacture the successor to Rafale. According to the Reuter's article below it's unlikely the UK would be involved in this.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fran ... SKBN19Y1FJ

Been there before with Alpha Jet and Transall. If they don't want us, there are other options.

[Ghastly Whisper]

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hul ... ugh-610720