QinetiQ has signed a deal for four Airbus H125 helicopters as part of its modernisation of the Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS), which it manages alongside the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Worth approximately £15 million, the deal will see Airbus Helicopters’ UK design team upgrade the Garmin G500-equipped aircraft with, among other capabilities, a 3-axis autopilot, dedicated communications equipment and Traffic Awareness Systems. This is in addition to a Flight Test Instrumentation suite, which is used to test and evaluate aircraft design and performance – a critical part of a test pilot or flight test engineer’s training.
The contract includes aircraft modification and 10 years’ full HCare support package – industry’s most comprehensive service coverage – helping to deliver full availability.
The aircraft are expected to enter service in early 2019.
“We and the MOD are investing £85m in ETPS under our strategy to modernise the UK’s Test Aircrew Training capability,” John Anderson, managing director Air & Space, QinetiQ said. “Assembling a fleet that provides the very best value and performance is vital to this strategy and the H125 will play a leading role.”
Colin James, UK managing director, Airbus Helicopters said the company was committed to providing long-term support to “one of the world’s ‘Big Four’ test pilot schools”.
The acquisition of the H125s is part of QinetiQ’s £1 billion deal with the MOD, signed in December 2016, to modernise the UK’s test aircrew training and air range capabilities. As part of the agreement, QinetiQ is investing £85 million in ETPS to reduce operating costs, enhance capabilities and drive future growth.
This includes the purchase of eight new aircraft to comprehensively update and future-proof the fleet that delivers training.
The first Australian students attended Course No.3 at the ETPS in 1945. Between 1945 and 2014, 131 students from the RAAF, RAN and Australian Army graduated from the school – the second largest number of non-UK students after the USA. The 131 Australian students comprise 67 Fixed Wing test pilots, 24 Rotary Wing pilots and 36 Flight Test Engineers.
QinetiQ Australia also confirmed at the Avalon airshow that they had acquired RubiKon, a specialist integrated logistics support consulting company. ADM also understands that the Australian business is eying off a futher two acqusition targets in 2017.