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| RBSL armored vehicles |
Militarymedia.net - Defense firm RBSL will manufacture more than 260 Boxer military vehicles at the Hadley Park site as part of a subcontract awarded by Rheinmetall Landsysteme for the Ministry of Defense's infantry vehicle program.
The company said the contract would "create and maintain" more than 200 skilled jobs in and around Telford, with a complete program employing 1,000 people nationwide.
It is not yet known how many of the 200 jobs will be new roles and how many will be filled by existing staff.
RBSL will also use the contract to provide employment and training opportunities to more than 60 apprentices over the next five years, which are expected to be replicated throughout the UK supply chain.
The subcontract marked an important milestone for the program, after a £ 2.3 billion MIV contract was awarded to ARTEC, the Rheinmetall consortium and KMW in December 2019.
The MIV program aims to earn 60 percent, on a value basis, contracts from within the UK. To achieve this, RBSL is part of the MIV Joint Procurement Team, which has worked with suppliers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
RBSL is also investing £ 20 million in its Telford site to upgrade infrastructure, provide state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and provide some of the highest standard training for specialist skills, such as welding.
Defense Secretary Jeremy Quin said: “Investing in defense is an investment into British industry and this Boxer contract will create and maintain thousands of skilled jobs across the country over its lifetime.
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| RBSL armored vehicles |
"A defense contract like this at RBSL in Telford will modernize and upgrade our armed forces while helping the country build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic."
Dr Marco Nöding, managing director of RBSL, added: “The RBSL subcontract is a tremendous step forward after months of hard work. Working with Rheinmetall and other partners, RBSL brings new skills and technology to UK businesses and supply chains.
“I feel proud that RBSL has the opportunity to support UK industry by working with UK-based suppliers - especially given the extraordinary circumstances facing the UK as a result of Covid-19.
"The next step for us is to formalize our community of suppliers and ensure the British Army receives their new vehicles manufactured to the highest standards."
