BAE Systems Global Combat Systems BAE Systems …€¦ · BAE Systems Global Combat Systems ... intranet, which was launched on 26 September, ... bomb disposal and airfield protection.

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eSSential reading for bae SyStemS people // month 20XX

Masthead

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intranet_or_digitaLpuBLication Link

aLL eYes on m777

more SucceSS for ‘howitzer

of choice’

BAE Systems Global Combat Systems

eSSential reading for bae SyStemS people // december 2011

advantage

upgraded scimitar is a cut aBove the rest for troops on the front Line fuLL storY pages 06-08

a worLd first –drive-BY-wire terrier is in a League of its own fuLL storY pages 10-11

radwaY green’s £83m investment opens its doors to a Brighter futurefuLL storY pages 12-14

inside this edition

Highlights

2 • briefing

bae Systems advantage

disclaimer

mAnAGInG dIrECtor’S wElComE>

A year of significant change for all of us

welcome to the first edition of Advantage in its new format, also available online. when i look back, 2011 has seen some significant changes in global combat Systems

the munitions business has really begun to see the fruits of the transformation journey. in January, the keys to the new washington facility were handed over, and machines and capability are being transferred from birtley. we invested £13m in a new 250-tonne forge, from Schuler in germany, and the first 150 105mm forgings were successfully

produced during September. in march we opened our new

laboratory at glascoed and completed the new £1m pyro facility. new offices should have been opened by the time Advantage goes to press and i’m delighted say that they will contain customer

accommodation. at radway green the new small arms ammunition

facility has been recently handed over to us by the

building contractors.weapons has

continued to perform very well during the year,

particularly the m777 programme with two further contracts this year from our uS customer. we are optimistic that this programme will be extended beyond 2014 through further export sales. the mk4 40mm naval gun was launched at dSei in london in September which brings a new, cost-effective product to the market.

the Vehicles business has had a difficult year as it has continued its restructuring programme to make it more competitive. we have taken tough but necessary decisions on leicester and wolverhampton but we are working hard to retain strategic capability.

the transfer of the Systems integration facility to telford has gone extremely well, enhancing telford as the centre of excellence for uk Vehicle military and technical Services. the team there has done great work in upgrading our warrior and cVr(t) vehicles, which is recognised by our customer.

it is testament to the high priority that everyone puts on She that barrow, radway green and newcastle sites have achieved Smm level 5. this is exceptional performance.

they are the first bae Systems manufacturing sites to get there, so well done all.

the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for any errors or omissions. advantage is produced by global combat Systems communications. editor: mike Sweeney, head of external communications, gcS. please send any comments and feedback to [email protected] articles or opinions expressed in this publication may not reflect company policy. all rights reserved. on no account may any part of this publication be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be made to [email protected]. designed and produced by connect communications ltd. www.connectcommunications.co.uk© bae Systems plc 2011.

02 briefingS 06 on the coVer Sharper

ScimitarS a hit with troopS 09 telford’S new dimenSion 10 on the coVer terrier – in a

league of itS own 12 on the coVer radway green

factory handed oVer 15 m777’S miSSion impoSSible 16 front-line troopS Say thankS 17 keeping cV90 offSet on track 18 Safety firStS for gcS SiteS 19 don’t Slip up thiS winter 20 action on eoS 22 chairman’S awardS 24 innoVatiVe apprenticeS

BeLow: charlie blakemore, managing director, global combat SyStemS

welcome to your new-look Advantage. we hope you like the changes we have made to the magazine and enjoy the new online edition. Advantage is your magazine, so please feel free to submit any ideas for features you may have to your business’s communications team for consideration. Editor: mike Sweeney email: [email protected] tel: +44 (0)780 171 6452

Working together just got easierour new intranet “workspace” will enhance collaborative working for employees across the uk, Sweden and hattiesburg in the uS.

this is because the new intranet, which was launched on 26 September, is hosted in whitelnk, meaning all employees, no matter where they are, can access the same information.

marilyn anderson, acting communications director for gcS, said: “after months of hard work, i was delighted when we launched the new gcS intranet, and on the first day the site had almost 6,000 hits.

“the page owners are now working to add more and more content and using the improved functionality that this intranet gives us. if there is any information that you don’t find easily, or any information you feel is missing, then please let your communications team know. it is

important that the new gcS intranet supports you in your day-to-day roles and that it’s the place you go to get information.”

you can now access the intranet through the link below. if you have not accessed the new intranet yet, you will first need to complete a five-minute workspace awareness training module so that you understand the security around working in workspace.

http://intranet.ent.baesystems.com/sites/gcs/pages/default.aspx

explore available digital formats:www.employeepublications-baesystems.com

briefing • 3

Panther reaches a million kilometresthe panther fleet recently passed the million-kilometre mark in service with the british armed forces.

a joint bae Systems/mod project team supports the versatile vehicles wherever they are in the world, including the uk, germany, canada, the falklands and afghanistan. the army, the raf and Special forces all operate panthers in a variety of roles, including communication, bomb disposal and airfield protection.

the team helps ensure fleet availability

through the System Support agreement. under this it ensures delivery of spare parts to nominated delivery points and supplies technical services including integrated logistic support, reliability and maintainability, arising rate management and logistic support analysis.

the user benefits from the availability of interactive electronic technical publications and field service representatives assist with technical queries and modifications in the field.

InnovAtIon> we reached well beyond our usual target groups. our new stealthy ‘Ghost’ version of Cv90120 provided a good starting point for promoting Adaptiv. the video has been viewed more than 450,000 times – Håkan Karlsson p05

aBove: fitter thomaS maguire eXamineS an m777 at barrow where the compleX titanium StructureS and aSSociated recoil componentS are aSSembled. the performance of the howitzer, pictured here in action afghaniStan, haS led to orderS now totalling 1,071

A US order for 70 more lightweight M777 howitzers in October follows hard on the heels of one to provide a lighter, more reliable power pack which will itself allow further upgrades to the weapon.

The new gun order is to begin equipping the US Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs). Valued at £87m, it takes the US-UK production programme to early 2014 and a total of 1,071 guns.

It follows a £13m contract in July to design, develop, qualify and manufacture an improved Power Conditioning Control Module (PCCM). This is the battery charging system that provides stable power to the Digital Fire Control System. Over the next four years, 1,049 units will be produced for fitting to in-service guns.

The improved PCCM must be lighter but deliver better reliability and accommodate future accessories, such as electronic thermal management and laser ignition. It will also allow the use of lithium ion, as well as the current lead-acid, batteries.

Ian McMillan, Managing Director (Acting) of Global Combat Systems Weapons, said: “Bringing M777 to the IBCTs will enhance their ability to carry out an ever-expanding range of missions.

“This latest order reinforces the system’s credentials while the focused development underlines our determination to keep M777 the howitzer of choice.”

Ian added: “As US orders slow down, it’s important that we build support and upgrade work, such as the PCCM contract, and win more export customers to take work beyond 2014.”

GCS’s facility at Hattiesburg,

Mississippi, is responsible for final integration and test of the weapon system. The prime contract management of the M777 programme and manufacture and assembly of the complex titanium structures and associated recoil components are undertaken at Barrow-in-Furness in the UK.

‘mission impossible’ achieved – page 15

M777, the ‘howitzer of choice’

4 • briefing


gcS Vehicles has delivered the br90 urgent operational requirement vehicles to the uk mod to schedule.

the programme to upgrade 12 vehicles to the better-protected theatre entry Standard with a wide range of enhancements was completed from the telford site following the transfer of bridging activity from wolverhampton to telford in 2010.

the team successfully managed the transition of capability, assets and employees while ensuring the rigorous schedule of user, electronic counter measures, automotive and blast trials were undertaken. the vehicles, which will be in service with the royal engineers, will provide a vital capability to the front line.

Shane hill, project manager, said: “this is the first full theatre entry Standard programme for the br90 vehicles and the team has worked round the clock to ensure the vehicle was on schedule for delivery.”

Business update

01 munitions uk order boost

• Munitions has received orders worth £136m from the uk mod to cover production in 2014. the orders were placed by the dgm partnering team in September. as part of the partnership’s aim of consistently meeting all key milestones on time and to schedule, the award was three weeks ahead of the formal timescale set out in the maSS (munitions acquisition – the Supply

Solution) partnering agreement. “this very successful outcome

was achieved through following a structured process,” said munitions managing director (acting) ian anderton. “this has been developed by using lessons learnt from previous years and by close joint working between the mod and munitions.”

see pages 12-14

02 vehicles key bids under way

• Vehicle demonstrations and trials have started on two important vehicle bids.

one is an upgraded bvS10 offered for the Swedish defence materiel administration’s (fmV) requirement for up to 175 new armoured all terrain vehicles.

the fmV wants vehicles in four different variants: armoured personal carrier, ambulance, command vehicle and logistics. the original bid was submitted at the end of September.

meanwhile, the bid for canada’s ccV (close combat Vehicle) went in at the end of august. gcS Vehicles is offering cV9035 mkiii in four different variants. the support package offers to take the overall responsibility to maintain the vehicle fleet.

03 weapons appointments

• Ian McMillan, formerly Artillery director, has been appointed managing director (acting) of the global combat Systems weapons business following mike Smith’s return to the uS as Vice president business development for the Support Solutions Sector of bae Systems, inc.

paul west will lead artillery Systems.

ulf einefors has been appointed integrated Systems director (acting).

pat lowry becomes hr director (acting) on the departure of daniel lindkvist.

The Engineer Tank System upgrade programme to bring the Titan and Trojan vehicles up to the agreed Final Acceptance Build Standard has delivered the first vehicles back into service with the Royal Engineers.

Two Titans and two Trojans were handed over by the Defence Services Group (DSG) to 22 Engineer Regiment at Tidworth on 30 September and a further two vehicles were fielded in November.

The end-to-end upgrade of the vehicles is an integrated process involving BAE Systems, the DSG, the Royal Engineers and the UK MOD Combat Tracks Group.

The next regiment to receive the upgraded FABS vehicles will be 32 Engineer in January 2012 for deployment to Germany. BAE Systems has already completed the upgrades for these vehicles in Newcastle and delivered the vehicles to DSG at Bovington for refurbishment.

Robert McClure, the ETS Project Manager, said: “This is a significant milestone in the ETS programme and a testimony to the effectiveness of the working relationship between the Newcastle-based project team and the Bovington-based DSG team.”

Engineer tanks are FABS

BR90 UOR bridges the gap

aBove: field Support manager mike harrow (left) and cVr(t) team leader martin heggie were interViewed in october by liz robertS from radio ShropShire on the work telford iS doing to Support the front line. in the background iS a teS br90 kitted out for duty in afghaniStan

right: on the moVe – the upgraded br90 VehicleS will proVide a Vital capability to the front line

briefing • 5

Adaptiv was the star of the show at DSEi, according to Fox News. Their coverage was just part of a worldwide broadcast media blitz on Adaptiv which followed the Sunday Times exclusive in the UK and subsequent print media coverage in the run-up to the event.

Coverage of Adaptiv included BBC Click, News 24 and World News with its 78 million viewers, as well as Fox, which carried several reports at peak viewing times, and dozens more TV stations around the world.

“We reached well beyond our usual target groups,” said Håkan Karlsson, Head of Marketing Communications at GCS Vehicles. “Our new stealthy ‘Ghost’ version of CV90120 provided a good starting point for promoting Adaptiv. The Adaptiv video has been viewed

‘Disappearing tank’ emerges visibly as the star of the show

The Archer 155mm artillery system cabin has successfully completed two urgent mine blast trials – but it took a remarkable effort by Global Combat Systems Weapons to meet a demanding schedule.

Instrumented dummies of the same type used in car crash tests were used in the trials to record the forces on various parts of the body over the course of the tests.

Ulf Glöckner, Programme Manager for Archer, explained: “To do the testing we needed to produce a cab – normally a month’s work which was time we didn’t have. But the team in Karlskoga worked day and night. In just 11 days they managed to build a representative cab. They also mounted mine and ballistic protection, including engine hood and fenders.”

One further critical test will soon take place.

Archer cabin crew are flying high after trials

aBove: archer in action Left: the cabin team – John-oVe SJöberg (proJect manager), henrik nyStröm, Staffan källStröm, fredrik karlSSon, thomaS löfStröm and håkan larSSon (aSSembly manager)

DSEI

450,000 times so far. Search on Google for Adaptiv BAE Systems and you will get over 170,000 links, so clearly we have made a significant breakthrough.”

While promoting the technology was one aim, helping build BAE Systems brand awareness around the world was also an important goal. Head of External Communications Mike Sweeney explained: “These days most

nations don’t buy a product off the shelf – they want technology transfer and involvement in manufacture and support. We gained widespread coverage in newspapers and on TV in countries such as Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Poland and Turkey. These nations are all important developing markets for us and the Adaptiv coverage has helped position BAE Systems as a high-tech partner of choice.

“In addition, the biggest challenge facing our business is the recruitment and retention of key skills, particularly in engineering. The Adaptiv technology clearly captured the imagination of this demographic and shows BAE Systems as a great place for engineers to work.”

view the video at Advantage online

right: the ‘cloak of inViSibility’ camouflage capabilitieS of the adapatiV technology demonStrated on the cV90 armoured Vehicle haVe been making newS around the world

6 • spotlight


spotlight • 7

the upgraded Scimitar family of vehicles which began operations in Afghanistan in September are

well liked by the troops. Telford delivered improved

versions of the Scimitar recce vehicle family with tougher new hulls and a range of other upgrades.

Sgt Matthew Pook of the 9th/12th

Lancers said: “Significant progress has been made with the vehicle since I first used it. It makes you feel more confident out on the ground. The old ones needed regular maintenance and fixing which is hard work at the end of the day.”

Five variants of the CVR(T) (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance –

sharper scimitars a cut aBove the rest

Tracked) family are being upgraded to the Mk2 standard as part of this fast-moving and cost-effective urgent operational requirement (UOR) programme. In addition to the Scimitar Mk2 reconnaissance vehicle, the supporting Spartan troop

troops hail performance of upgraded reconnaissance vehicles delivered to afghanistan in fast-moving uor programme

Left: a Scimitar mk2 waitS on the runway at raf brize norton for air-freighting to afghaniStan in an antonoV an-124 right: the tougher new chaSSiS for the upgrade were hand-welded at wolVerhampton

continues overLeaf>

urgent operationaL requirement

8 • spotlight


carrier, Samson repair and recovery, Sultan command post and Samaritan ambulance are being re-hulled at a total cost of less than £30m.

The new Telford design, based on the Spartan hull, is fabricated from aluminium at GCS Vehicles’ Wolverhampton site and incorporates a range of design changes to improve mine blast protection, improve vehicle maintainability and reduce support costs while minimising weight growth.

“In addition to the change in material, the new hull for the Scimitar

Mk2 is based on the Spartan variant,” explained Project Manager Pete Hallows. “This change gives vital extra headroom within the driver’s area to fit a blast attenuation seat, while providing an additional escape route through the new rear door.”

Pete added: “The modern alloy

<from previous page

cvr(t) mk2 changes include:• new mine-blast protection seating in every position in every variant• redesigned and repositioned driver foot controls to reduce lower limb mine blast injuries

• improved appliqué armour to improve blast and ballistic protection• upgraded torsion-bar suspension to improve vehicle mobility• revamped fuel system and tanks• a heavier-duty winch on the Samson

variant, and many other minor changes• a new power distribution system, including rotary base junction, that provides improved power management between chassis and turret and will enable further upgrades.

Upgraded Mk2 makes its mark

also enhances corrosion resistance, which means reduced maintenance and therefore reduced through-life costs.”

The Mk2 follows earlier upgrades which gave CVR(T) a new engine, add-on armour and better engine cooling and air filtration to cope with operation in hot, dusty climates.

More than 2,000 CVR(T)s are in service with non-UK customers and Vehicles is marketing the Mk2 and earlier upgrade technologies to them.

Contract award for CVR(T) Mk2 was in December 2010, following an earlier risk mitigation programme. The upgrade was developed, tested and managed by the Vehicles Military and Technical Services team at Telford. The team also co-ordinated vehicle build at the nearby DSG (Defence Support Group), Donnington facility. All 50 vehicles will be delivered by early 2012.

• Since the introduction of the CVR(T) Mk2 to Afghanistan, two Scimitars have been hit by IEDs. In the first incident the crew all survived. In the second, tragically, the commander and gunner were killed following a rollover. The driver survived.

Left: celebrity cheryl cole waS giVen an introduction to the Scimitar when She ViSited troopS in afghaniStan during a ViSit to mark ten yearS of britiSh operationS right: more room inSide – front-line bound ScimitarS are Swallowed up inSide the caVernouS antonoV tranSporter

significant progress has been Made since i first used it. it Makes you feel More confident out on the ground

BeLow: the crewS like their new cVr(t) VehicleS

innovation • 9

the transfer of the Systems Integration Facility (SIF) from Leicester to Telford will give the

Vehicles business in the UK the ability to go from a cyberspace vehicle to the real thing on a test track within the space of a few seconds and metres.

The SIF builds on many years’ experience and proven systems engineering processes, drawing together a range of modern tools into a purpose-built integrated facility.

The facility supports the entire design life cycle from requirements analysis, concept generation, system design and integration through to prototype production. The overall aim is to provide an enhanced technical solution and early risk reduction.

The SIF also allows the customer to interact at all stages of the design process, enabling an increased level of customer confidence that the final product will deliver what he needs.

All employees at Telford were invited to attend the September opening in the newly refurbished visitor centre after which they mingled with Vehicles management committee members. The event marked a milestone for the Telford facility which is being developed as the centre of excellence for the Military and Technical Services (M&TS) business.

Left: inSide the ViSualiSation dome – it enableS deSignS in the form of 3d life-Size Virtual modelS to be placed in a Synthetic enVironment for rapid concept eValuation

from cYBerspace to metaL in an instant Systems integration facility gives telford a new dimension

vehicLes design technoLogY

With the SIF we can build a better tankthe new Systems integration facility in telford includes the following key elements:• A 3D Visualisation Dome enables designs in the form of 3d life-size fully textured virtual models to be placed in a synthetic environment for rapid concept evaluation. • A Combat Systems integration lab allows systems and crew behaviours to be examined in an operational environment. • An Electronic Systems integration lab enables the

early design and proving of electronic architectures, testing them in synthetic environments to ensure they will work in the real world. • A Vehicle Systems Integration lab builds on the earlier elements offering a phased approach to the integration of operational software and hardware into the final vehicle.

the Sif will be used to develop enhanced capabilities for the in-service fleet of armoured vehicles carriers and provide a showcase for m&tS.

10 • spotlight


the world’s first drive-by-wire armoured vehicle has left its Newcastle assembly line and

entered its production testing phase. Terrier is so advanced it can be operated remotely from more than a kilometre away, using a Playstation-type controller … a handy feature when clearing mines in hostile territory

The contract to design and develop a vehicle to replace the British Army Combat Engineer Tractor, was awarded in July 2002. It was ground-breaking at the time in covering not just the Terrier vehicle and its support equipment, but also an extensive training solution and a contract for the first five years of in-service support.

The years since have been challenging. Adrian Betteridge, who took over as project leader in December last year, said: “Meeting the Terrier requirement has meant a protracted development and trials programme. The design embraces the most modern vehicle electronics (‘vetronics’) to allow the crew of two to carry out a very wide variety of tasks under armour day and night.

“The Terrier role requires an extensive hydraulics suite and the essential requirement for the vehicle to be air transportable in an A400 airlifter requires everything to be highly optimised in terms of weight and packaging.

“However, reliability requirements are significantly higher than any preceding similar vehicle, and meeting these with the tight design margins and tolerances demanded by the performance requirements is a huge challenge.

“Despite this, Terrier has emerged as a unique and highly flexible vehicle that will meet the user’s requirements in all their operating scenarios, more than filling the gap between adapted commercial vehicles and heavy engineering vehicles like the tank-based Trojan.”

Another challenge for the project has been to incorporate changes in operational requirements and exploit advances in technology.

Enhanced mine blast protection, new Bowman radio fits and weight reduction to enable these changes were the result of the Theatre Entry Standard contract amendment. Work started on this in 2008, including a comprehensive redesign of the hull, and the final amendment was

confirmed in March 2009. The first Terrier hull to the new

design left the Newcastle workshop in 2010 for mine blast trials. These had to demonstrate the improved protection levels demanded following feedback gained on other vehicles during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, reliability has been growing steadily, through three phases of reliability growth trials on demonstrator vehicles.

In March 2011, in recognition of the progress being made, a revised contract with the UK MOD was agreed to give a clearer focus on the demonstration of production vehicle reliability, recognising the substantial changes embodied on these compared to the reliability trials demonstrators.

This change also gave GCS Vehicles the opportunity to incorporate lessons from the British Army’s own user trials into the production build.

The successful use of the remote control system at Bovington on 27 September this year marked completion of the user trials.

The demonstrator vehicles are now conducting the final stages of reliability growth trials, the completion of acceptance activity, and are supporting the “Train the Trainer” course ahead of the delivery of

in a League of its own newcastle delivers world’s most advanced armoured vehicle

aBove: the firSt production terrier digging a trench. that iS JuSt one of many capabilitieS of thiS unique and highly fleXible Vehicle. remote operating meanS it can clear obStacleS and roadSide bombS Safely

spotlight • 11

production vehicles 2 to 5 to training in the new year.

Terrier is a product of development from across Vehicles. The original competition was between two companies which are now both part of BAE Systems, and knowledge from both bids has been used in the programme. Early development was focused in Leicester, with important contributions from Barrow and the Leeds engineering team.

Support input from Telford has featured significantly, and more recently Newcastle has taken the leading role. Several Swedish employees are currently working in Newcastle on the project, and key Terrier sub-systems are being fabricated in Örnsköldsvik.

With the start of live training, the training team has relocated to the Army base at Bovington, and the M&TS team in Filton are now mobilising to begin supporting production vehicles in the new year. Terrier trials have been supported by the Field Service team at locations including Bovington, Catterick, and Larkhill.

terrier’s drive-by-wire system is a first on a vehicle of this type and allows remote operation for hazardous tasks such as clearing mines and roadside bombs.

the vehicle is agile, well protected, easy to support and versatile, and by being air transportable, can be quickly deployed anywhere in the world

it can carry out tasks including obstacle and surface mine clearance, route opening and maintenance, digging in equipment and troops and excavation of anti-tank ditches.

the crew is protected from small arms and shell/mortar fire as well as nuclear, biological and chemical (nbc) contamination. higher protection levels can be achieved by using add-on armour.

the heart of terrier are the drive-by-wire and Special-to-role

controllers which run the application software, associated engine management unit, and the vehicle hand-controllers.

the vetronics architecture helps reduce operator fatigue with its side-by-side crew station layout to aid workload sharing, and provides the ability to operate the vehicle and any of its functions under remote control.

terrier specs • two-man crew• 31.5 tonnes • 700hp engine• 70kph top speed• 5-tonne clamshell bucket

• 2.5-tonne excavator arm• thermal Imaging cameras• capable of being remotely controlled• general purpose machine gun• surface mine clearance device and other ancillaries

terrier traininga full suite of training equipment has been developed to support the use of terrier.

this includes extensive use of simulation to minimise wear and tear on the vehicles and to provide realistic and demanding training scenarios.

bae Systems military air & information is the main sub-contractor, supplying the mission crew trainer simulators (pictured above) which even replicate the complex scenario of digging protective emplacements, one of terrier’s principle roles.

Terrier factfile: 31.5 tonnes of versatility

12 • spotlight


radwaY green in the

round

spotlight • 13

BeLow: the uk miniSter for defence equipment, Support and technology peter luff addreSSed employeeS at the handoVer ceremony when he told them that the new factory would maintain radway green’S reputation for high-quality ammunition and Safeguard JobS

gCS Munitions’ new £83m factory at Radway Green will secure jobs and guarantee

better supplies of munitions to British troops on the front line.

With 50 per cent greater capacity than the existing plant, the factory promises the MOD greater efficiencies and improved products. Incorporating 114 new or refurbished machines, the facility will be fully operational in 2013.

While the small arms ammunition produced at Radway Green is already regarded as among the world’s best, the new plant will improve quality still further.

The modernisation of the Radway Green site is part of a £206m drive to overhaul Munitions’ three major Second World War-vintage sites under the MASS (Munitions Acquisition – the Supply Solution) partnering agreement with the MOD.

The 15-year, £2 billion agreement, signed in 2008, commits the MOD and

Munitions to working together and has proven a great success. Radway Green has more than doubled ammunition production since 2005, while at the same time has met every major milestone in the drive to transform the factory.

The progress at Radway Green has been accompanied by similar developments at Washington in the North East and Glascoed in South Wales, where production increased while the facilities underwent major change.

Speaking at the handover of the factory by builders Shepherd Construction in September, the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Peter Luff told employees: “I am heartened that together the MOD and BAE Systems are investing more than £83m in the local economy.

“This site has a long-held

Small arms ammunition site takes a big stride towards a brighter future with factory handover

munitions transformation

what it means to them:

Fran Becker, manufacturing engineer, joined business in 1976“it means job security and a new start. it’s been a long time coming and the best thing for radway green for a very long time”

John Chambers , Operations Support Manager, joined 1966 “this is excellent news. i shall be retiring shortly, but for the workforce it means that the uncertainty is over. it will be a 100 per cent improvement on the existing facility and the new working environment will be fantastic”

Janet Dale, production and ladies convener, joined 1982“an exciting future and with the new facility we shall be able to attract the right skill set. it’s a new beginning really”

Andrew Batley, mechanical apprentice, joined 2008“i believe that the commitment by the company means that there will be a long future for me at radway green. i am coming to the end of my apprenticeship and am looking forward to qualifying as a time served mechanic at what is a great time in the history of radway green”

Roy Dale, retired electrician and charge hand, 1941-1980“this is a real change from when i worked here. it’s great isn’t it?”

Lesley-Ann Winton, mechanical apprentice, joined 2010“i’m looking forward to moving over to the new facility when it is up and running with the new installed equipment. once i’m time-served, i know that i will be working in a world class, state-of-the-art facility”

employee quotes

continues overLeaf>

14 • spotlight


Factory factsShepherd construction started building work in march 2010. the 5.7-hectare site has since been transformed to create a factory complete with welfare and administration facilities, staff restaurant and car park.• As many as 100 people per day have been working on-site since the project began.• 100 per cent of the 654,610 kilograms of waste produced has been recycled responsibly.• Overall internal floor space is the equivalent to three standard football pitches.• 7,300 cubic metres of concrete was used on the project – enough to fill 68 double decker buses.• 1,218 tonnes of steel was used – equivalent to the weight of about 147 african bush elephants.

reputation for producing the best quality small arms munitions and the new plant will ensure that record is maintained for many years to come. BAE Systems’ investment in three major munitions factories in partnership with MOD will sustain a key manufacturing capability within the UK.”

Munitions Managing Director (Acting) Ian Anderton said: “MASS is all about partnering. By working closely together we are becoming more efficient.”

Benefits of mass The benefits of co-operating closely with the MOD were highlight in a report issued in June by the Office of Government Commerce, which said that the MASS agreement was providing good value for money.

Officials were impressed with the way MASS had been implemented, the progress made in a relatively short

time and the effective joint partnering in place. They identified maintaining momentum and continued improvement as areas for focus.

The report said that “MASS is an exemplar of what can be achieved by effective partnering” and noted that “the speed of introduction and quality of the new facilities established by GCS Munitions, enhancing their reputation as munitions suppliers, has impressed stakeholders”.

An internal analysis carried out at around the same time found that 41 of 45 performance indicators had been delivered with two others on track for future delivery and two more overtaken by events.

Nick Edwards, Head of the Joint MOD MASS team, said: “MASS was never solely about the cheapest compliant solution. It is about meeting the MOD’s need for UK Armed Forces to be enabled to conduct both its training and operational requirements where cost and value for money are a key consideration.”

Radway Green’s role bae Systems provides approximately 80 per cent of the british armed forces general munitions.• Small arms ammunition output is at its highest levels for more than 30 years.• The new propellant dispensing system will handle over 300 tonnes of explosive each year.

• The new production lines will produce up to 25 rounds per second.• Manual and vehicle material handling will be minimised through the use of more than 200 conveyors.• The site’s manufacturing footprint will be reduced by 47 per cent, but capacity will be increased by 50 per cent.

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right: the new Small armS ammunition manufacturing facility

Mass is an exeMplar of what can be achieved by effective partnering ... the speed of introduction and quality of the new facilities established by gcs Munitions has iMpressed stakeholders

customer focus • 15

Factory facts

desert and mountain testing

The gruelling Indian M777 trials, part of India’s plans to acquire 145 guns under the US Foreign Military Sales programme, were a triumph of planning and logistics. The feat was recognised with a Silver Chairman’s Award for their submission “M777 – India ... Mission Impossible ...?”(see page 22 )

Over a period of 67 days during late 2010, demonstrations with M777 took place across India. They were conducted in the Rajasthan desert plains at temperatures of +50°C, and at nearly 4,000 metres above sea level in the Himalayan Mountains at temperatures down to -10°C.

In between were long road journeys of many hundreds of miles, including an intense period of road and air-transportability testing consisting of fording, static lifting, helicopter under-slinging trials and an internal flight across India in a Russian-made IL-76.

The team had just six weeks to plan the activity, which included mobilising a crew and training in the UK, provisioning of tools and spares, allocation of two M777 systems from current production line – and the logistical headache of transporting everything and everyone to India.

Delivering the trials schedule required expertise from the UK, Sweden, US and India with both government and industry representatives joining the multi-national team.

The BAE Systems people were drawn from the Terrier trials in Larkhill in the UK, Archer qualification trials in Sweden, the M777 production line and various other programmes across the Company. All the supporting teams released people while still having to deliver on their own commitments to the business. The training took place for the whole team on gun drills in Barrow.

“The desert firing trial was the first

time many of the team had seen the gun fire, and being involved as part of the gun crew after many years spent working on the programme was very satisfying,” said Integrated Project Team Leader for India Paul West.

“The air mobility test was another first for most of the team as it’s not often you get to play with a MI-26, one of the biggest helicopters in the world. The downdraft blew our camera equipment over several times but this didn’t prevent us from getting the job done.”

M777 trials team in India achieve ‘mission impossible’

aBove: the heat iS on aS the bae SyStemS crew load the m777 for a teSt firing in the thar deSert in the north-weStern State of raJaSthan

InItIAtIvES> Achieving good industrial co-operation is one of our most important criteria for securing a deal. It is slow work, assessing the customer country’s industrial capability. It is like a huge jigsaw puzzle – maria Jonsson, p17

the desert trial firing was the first tiMe Many of the teaM had seen the gun fire ... and was very satisfying

16 • customer focus


Soldiers from the Royal Logistic Corps and the Royal Artillery visited Glascoed in South Wales as part of a tour of GCS Munitions sites in October to talk to employees about life on operations in Afghanistan and the importance of the range of ammunition that the business provides to the MOD under a long-term partnering agreement.

The tour was organised by Lt Col Chris Sanderson from the Defence General Munitions Project Team at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation.

He told workers: “There are soldiers

returning from Afghanistan who would not be alive if it wasn’t for the quality of the ammunition you produce. The British Army is 100,000 strong, but we must add another 1,500 people in Munitions to that total.”

The MASS (Munitions Acquisition – the Supply Solution) partnering agreement signed between the MOD and BAE Systems in August 2008, covers the supply of munition from small arms ammunition up to large-calibre tank and artillery rounds. Under the agreement, Munitions is investing over £200m in modernising its manufacturing plants.

Importance of MASS underlined

Front-line troops visit sites to say thanks

aBove: lt col chriS SanderSon, gunner Shaun grimeS and bombardier mick braybrook (both 29 commando regiment royal artillery) inSpecting 105mm light gun ammunition aS it iS packed by roSS berryman at glaScoed before being Shipped to afghaniStan

head of business development craig fennell chaired the most recent artillery colonels meeting. its aim was to share information and review objectives in the development of artillery weapon systems to make the most of the maSS partnering agreement.

the meeting was attended by representatives from capability deep target attack, defence general munitions, headquarters royal artillery and the artillery Systems project team from abbey wood.

the agenda covered an introduction to the glascoed Site, discussion on the maSS contract, the current 155mm System Study and m777. the mod also provided a comprehensive brief on its thoughts for the future.

colonel richard couzens, deputy head deep target attack, said: “i found the event extremely helpful and was very grateful for the open and honest way that gcS munitions approached the day.”

Artillery specialists greeted at Glascoed

Users help to build better BvS10

Left: the firSt of 53 production bVS10S for the french army waS handed oVer in noVember.

vehicles

Closer ties and better dialogue between manufacturer and customer are expected from a new BvS10 user forum.

UK and Dutch MOD officials gathered in Örnsköldsvik for the first time in September to establish the role of the new forum, and begin discussions on opportunities and expectations for improving the vehicle, its support and operation.

“We want to maximise the benefits for our customers,”

said Jesper Skogetun, Head of Strategic Marketing M&TS, at GCS Vehicles. “We have had the idea of a forum for a while, which is why it is so satisfying to see it finally take shape.

“The initiative was well received by those at the meeting. The forum is a means of identifying common denominators among the user group and harmonising requirements. It also offers a chance to influence development of the vehicle and its capabilities.”

Jesper explained: “We gain

better customer feedback, so we can build a better vehicle and support it more effectively. We now also have the ability to systematically inform users about our plans for the vehicle’s development.”

The group decided to meet every six months and that BAE Systems should chair the meetings. Participants were also given “homework” to prepare. Among other things, they must present their top ten focus points for BvS10 operations. The next meeting is in April when the French will also attend.

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customer focus • 17

aBove: maria iS no Stranger to gcS VehicleS in örnSköldSVik, haVing worked in the purchaSing department Since 2005. when the induStrial co-operation and offSet department began looking for Someone to manage itS offSet actiVitieS in denmark laSt year, maria waS appointed to the poSt by anderS karlSSon. JuSt 12 monthS later She waS appointed hiS SucceSSor when he retired

munitions the head of australia’s explosive ordnance division led a visit to the birtley and washington sites as part of potential links between munitions and the australian department of defence. anthony klenthis’s visit follows tours of glascoed and radway green in September 2009.

lee Smurthwaite, operations director (acting), munitions explained: “bae Systems is a contender for running the ammunition factories in australia at benalla [Victoria] and mulwala [new South wales]. munitions is supporting bae Systems australia in its preparation for this campaign and successful visits like this can only help our case.”

the explosive ordnance division is part of the defence materiel organisation in australia’s department of defence and is responsible for buying the ammunition used by australia’s armed forces.

reflecting on the visit, anthony said that he was very impressed and said: “everybody should be extremely proud of what has been achieved to date in the transition from birtley to washington.”

the move is part of a £75m investment at the facility following the signing of the maSS agreement. the transition to the new facility is due to be completed by summer 2012.

vehicles

Maria Jonsson took over as the new Head of Industrial Co-operation and Offset at GCS Vehicles in Örnsköldsvik in October. With extensive experience of everything from production and finance to logistics and purchasing, Maria has now turned her attention to a new challenge – managing the department responsible for effective offset.

Industrial co-operation is a major factor in export deals within the defence industry. The customer country makes offset demands of up to 100 per cent, which means that the supplier must strike deals in that country equivalent to the full value of the contract.

“Achieving good industrial co-operation is one of our most important criteria for securing a deal,” explained Maria, but bringing about good industrial cooperation is never a quick process.

“It is slow work, during which we assess the customer country’s industrial capability, meet with its authorities, supplier organisations and defence organisations, participate in

seminars and conferences, and then make a final appraisal to ensure a cost-effective undertaking. It is like putting together a huge jigsaw puzzle.”

At GCS Vehicles in Örnsköldsvik the foundations were laid for the Offset Department back in the 1990s, and today the department has four employees with a wealth of experience, who are respected both internally and externally.

A model developed for the CV9035 vehicle, in which production of the turret is always moved to the customer country, has proven very successful.

“We manufacture the chassis in Örnsköldsvik and ship it to our industrial partner in the customer country. They are responsible for production of the turret and its integration onto the chassis. In addition to this, we usually have a number of subcontractors in the customer country delivering various elements of the vehicle, for example, the electrical system.’’

GCS Vehicles has a track record of always meeting the stringent offset requirements associated with export deals.

Maria aims to keep CV90 offset on track

aBove: the auStralian party touring the waShington Site

Australians impressed by Birtley and Washington

18 • safety, health and environment


the Chairman’s Awards scheme is designed to recognise our extraordinary people for delivering exceptional performance and to share these accomplishments across our global organisation – Colin Spence, pages 22-23

InItIAtIvES>

Barrow, Radway Green and Newcastle are the first large manufacturing sites in BAE Systems to achieve the Company’s top safety rating.

It is expected that by the end of 2011 all of our manufacturing sites, engineering test facilities and ranges will be asserting SMM Level 5 status following GCS SHE Self-Assurance reviews, Inc. Audits and external third party reviews, with the exception of Telford which has a target of end 2012.

The audit looked at evidence against the SMM requirements of leadership, compliance, competence, improvement and performance.

During the safety audits several programmes were singled out as being

Safety firsts for GCS sitesBarrow, Radway Green and Newcastle set the pace for other BAE Systems businesses as audit rates them at highest level in Safety Maturity Matrix

smm – what is it?the five-level Safety maturity matrix provides a common framework for measuring and managing safety performance across the business. it includes criteria under the categories of leadership, compliance, competence, improvement and performance.

every bae Systems business has set safety targets as part of a four-year plan, launched in 2007. the Smm helps each business progress towards the goal of recognised best practice and continuous improvement. level five requires:• performance and safety culture seen as best in class• benchmark best practices• frequent, credible and consistent leadership behaviours• mature safety management system• challenging improvement targets• zero incident aspiration• continued SHE integration.

Left: employeeS at barrow-in-furneSS working on the m777 howitzer. the cumbrian Site, along with radway green and newcaStle, haS achieVed the higheSt Safety rating within the company

best practice. At Radway Green, for example, the competency framework crosses all levels of the organisation and the safety improvement plan is cascaded to several layers. The Glascoed safety awareness events were also commended.

The auditors are now looking at sharing these more widely across the Inc. business.

Head of SHE Steve Spalding said: “Across BAE Systems globally there are diverse cultures, levels of safety performance, working environments and legislative frameworks; the SMM is about drawing these together to provide common ground in safety management.”

safety, health and environment • 19

Going my way? Munitions drives changecar sharing campaign

munitions has taken a major step forward in helping employees cut the amount of driving they do by launching two new applications on its intranet, supported by a poster campaign.

car share will enable employees to match up journeys between various locations, such as sites and airports, and organise car shares with other employees planning similar journeys.

Lift2work allows an employee to enter or check for a lift to work, based on a postcode location. while informal lift shares currently take place, it is hoped the lift2work application will give employees a greater opportunity to match and share journeys and reduce their costs.

“by introducing the two new applications, employees will benefit in several ways, such as reducing risks by sharing driving, improving health and wellbeing through fewer trips and fewer nights away from home,” said munitions Sustainable development co-ordinator Sue Smith.

Business continuity

“plane crashes at munitions site”. or “blast rips through munitions plant”.

two newspaper headlines that we hope never to see. but to ensure that we are prepared for any emergency, our business continuity management (bcm) team undertakes annual exercises at five munitions sites to test the effectiveness of existing emergency response plans.

the exercises are based on one

of three formats: desk top, scenario-based or a live simulation. the latter is mandatory once every three years for our two comah (control of major accident hazards) sites at glascoed and radway green. within the last year, both sites have completed successful simulation events.

“the aim of the exercises,” said John howcroft, munitions bcm manager, “is to simulate, as close as possible, the high-pressure nature of an emergency situation. to add

realism, professional actors are used in the live simulation exercises, to play the roles of injured employees, concerned relatives and journalists.”

as part of these exercises, the nominated site management team, known as a Silver command team, managed the simulated incidents, in partnership with their local emergency services.

John added: “the success of this type of exercise is vital for everyone’s safety and especially the continued safe operation of radway green and

glascoed. learning and feedback from our recent exercises has been collected, analysed and implemented to help continually improve our ability to respond effectively to any emergency.

“a successful exercise provides our site management teams, the health & Safety executive and the environment agency with assurance that we have processes in place to minimise the risk of any major incident and if required, can respond decisively.”

Emergency exercises prepare sites for the worst

Don’t slip up this year As winter bites, be prepared to start out safely, speak up about hazards, and keep safe at home and out and aboutA major improvement in GCS safety performance has followed an increasing focus on safety management and developing a positive safety culture where we all focus on hazards and risks, which are identified and dealt with systematically.

Statistics include a 52 per cent fall in lost-time injuries from 23 in 2009 to just 11 so far for 2011 and a 40 per cent fall in all reported injuries.

However, as we move into the winter months we must be mindful of the additional hazards that we face from shorter daylight hours, colder temperatures and slippery surfaces caused by ice, snow and fallen leaves.

Every year we seem to report a number of slips, trips and falls in icy weather and hear stories of people suffering a range of injuries from bruises and sprains to torn ligaments and broken bones. We also seem to suffer more musculoskeletal injuries from manual handling activities where muscles are cold and we don’t do enough to warm-up before the activity.

Shorter days and longer nights mean that there is an increased risk,

especially to pedestrians and cyclists, while motorists will know the hazards of the low winter sun in the northern hemisphere.

Snow clearance and de-icing plans are being put in place at each site to ensure we all have a clear safe route, making sure that tramp-water brought into buildings on shoes does not cause another hazard.

We all need to maintain our awareness during winter to take account of our changing environment, making suitable adjustments to our clothing and, in particular, footwear to ensure we remain well equipped to move about safely.

aBove: our SiteS around the globe are preparing for challengeS the weather can throw up for them. the coldeSt temperatureS in hattieSburg in miSSiSSippi are typically about 10c while in örnSköldSVik in Sweden they are about -11c. laSt year the loweSt recorded temperature at radway green in the uk waS -19c

20 • people


our man at Le mans

Vehicles reliability engineer Mike Wain has followed up a recent fifth place at the Bol d’Or endurance motorcycle race (September edition of Advantage) with the same finish at the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour race.

Mike is part of the Honda TT Legends endurance racing team which is pioneering a revolutionary new linked anti-lock braking system on its

Mike’s sport supports day job

new Fireblade bike. Earlier systems, while fine for road use, have not had the performance necessary for the race track.

Mike’s work for the team, looking after the fuel system and refuelling

aBove: mike refuelS the fireblade at le manS

action after eos

Trust in leadership, employee engagement and career development and reward – these are the top three areas identified for action in Vehicles following the Employee Opinion Survey (EOS).

An over-arching action plan and site-based response and communication plans are beginning to be integrated into the business, led by the site general managers and supported by the HR and communications functions.

“Getting the best out of our outstanding workforce is vital for the business,” says HR Director Andy Shepherd (right). “Maximising the effectiveness of our people means putting employee engagement at the heart of how we do things and the heart of the

workplace relationship between employee and employers. It’s the key to improving productivity and to transforming the working lives of employees, by unlocking people’s potential at work.”

Newcastle actions, led by Site Manager Geoff Newcomb, include publicising achievements/spot awards, increased communication of targets/milestones using TV screens onsite, re-focus on visual management and “team huddles”.

In Örnsköldsvik, key focus areas include launch of a site-wide housekeeping activity, a quality workshop, focus on SHE

culture/SMM level 5 and more visible leadership. These

activities are led by the

Site General Manager Michael Hortlund, supported by the functional leaders and the HR team.

Bob George, Site General Manager at Telford, Wolverhampton and Filton said: “Results from the EOS survey gave us a unique insight to employees’ views on our business. Our aim is to boost employee engagement through a variety of forums, drop-in centres, open days and interim engagement ‘dip tests’; and to share and implement those collective ideas.”

EOS site plans will be published locally and the performance against them will be reviewed regularly by the site leadership teams.

A plan to increase visibility of the Vehicles Management Committee and to give employees direct access to the committee members has been rolled out.

Managing Director Jan Söderström said: “As a leadership team, we are serious about personally spending more time with our employees to make sure we are at the front line of engagement. Doing this is a business priority for the company. It’s not a ‘nice to have’ - it’s a ‘must do’. Making employee engagement ‘the way we do things around here’ underlies all of our goals.”

Engagement sessions have already been held across the sites in UK and Sweden.

Vehicles puts employee engagement ‘at the heart of how we do things’

during the long races, feeds into his day job, supporting AS90 and Terrier.

“The opportunity to discuss the development of the braking system with the Honda and Nissan factory engineers was fantastic – they have been developing this innovation for several years and have a massive personal stake in its success.

“I also had some great discussions with the senior Honda personnel there for the Fireblade launch about the challenges they face in supporting the different types of equipment that Honda produce, from cars to portable generators.

“They gave me a valuable insight into the highly competitive commercial world in which they operate and some good ideas that might be useful for our own support service.”

Leadership programme gets positive responsea course to improve the coaching skills of leaders

within gcS Vehicles is gaining positive feedback from

participants. launched in october, the leader as

coach programme aims

to help achieve a culture of total performance and to promote an ethos of hands-on leadership engagement.

twelve leaders each from newcastle, telford and örnsköldsvik have completed the

course, designed to increase confidence and competence in coaching and developing others.

hr director andy Shephard said: “we believe the programme will address some of the feedback we received in the recent eoS.”

people • 21

global challenge

munitions employees walked the equivalent of twice round the world when they took part in the 2011 global corporate challenge (gcc).

the gcc aims to encourage participants to adopt a healthier, more active lifestyle. this year, between may and September, 130,000 participants from a thousand organisations in 83 countries took part – including 84 employees in 12 teams from munitions. it was the most successful event in gcc’s history.

each participant had to record their daily activity on the gcc website in order to make progress on the virtual journey around the world. the aim was to reach at least 10,000 steps per day (the average corporate worker only walks 3,000 steps per day).

during may to September our teams achieved a daily step average of 14,072, which is 40 per cent ahead of the world health organisation’s recommendation. collectively, this is the equivalent of walking twice around the world.

“everyone who took part has

clearly benefited and it has produced healthier and better motivated individuals,” said organiser lee parker from glascoed.

this view is supported by some interesting statistics, based on the teams’ participation. they burnt off the equivalent of nearly 11,000 large burgers, while 83 per cent reported an increase in morale in the office.

Jill king, gcc’s european director, added: “everyone enjoyed taking part and it is particularly pleasing that 79 per cent said they would continue with their new healthy habits beyond the end of the event.”

14,072 steps to a healthier lifestyle

aBove: ian anderton, Jill king and lee parker acknowledge munitionS’ global corporate challenge achieVement

Munitions cyclists in 300-mile ride of Remembrance for British Legion community action

Six employees from Munitions at Glascoed joined about 300 other fundraisers in London for the annual Pedal to Paris bike ride. All our cyclists – Darren Wagg, Rhys Jobbins, Anthony Ling, Jason Davies, Anthony McManus and Sean Palmer – completed the 300-mile journey over four days, in varying degrees of exhaustion.

The team hopes to raise more than £4,000 for the Royal British Legion and the event as a whole aims to raise over £600,000 for charity.

Sean said: “The weather was fantastic and we only had heavy rain for an hour on the last day.

“The hospitality of the French was great and it was very impressive to witness how car drivers in France are so patient and supportive of cyclists.

“The event had many highlights but two in particular come to mind. First, participating in the ceremonies at the war memorials along the route, especially the one under the Arc de Triomphe, was a very moving experience. Second, being part of a 300-strong group cycling through the centre of Paris. These are memories which we will all never forget.”

Back in the UK, 20 cyclists took between 60 and 90 minutes to

complete a 20-mile course in the second annual Radway Green “Lap of Honour” cycle ride. The event started and finished at the site entrance, visiting several local villages en route. It is called the “Lap of Honour” as a mark of respect to all servicemen and women who have lost their lives serving their country. The event raised more than £1,000 for the Royal British Legion

As part of Remembrance events in November, Munitions employees also carried out gardening at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Volunteers cleared grass, shrubbery and low branches in the memorial woods to allow families to visit the trees dedicated to their loved ones.

The National Memorial Arboretum is the UK’s Centre of Remembrance for those who have given their lives in the service of their country. It also houses the Armed Forces Memorial which commemorates the 16,000 members of the Armed Forces who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorism, from the end of the Second World War to the current conflict in Afghanistan.

aBove glaScoed cycliStS darren wagg, rhyS JobbinS, anthony ling, JaSon daVieS, anthony mcmanuS and Sean palmer at the arc de triomphe in pariS where they attended a remembrance ceremony after their ride from london

22 • people


representatives from 85 Bronze Award-winning teams from across Global Combat

Systems converged on Silverstone race circuit on 6 October, chosen as the venue because of its link with high performance through motor racing.

Among them were Silver Award-winning teams from Weapons – “M777-India … Mission Impossible … ?” – and two from Munitions –“Enabling Munitions Safety” and the Washington Forge, Machining & Treatments (FMT) facility, which received a Gold nomination.

In total, 261 nominations were submitted. Colin Spence, HR Director and Chairman’s Awards champion for GCS, said: “Chairman’s Awards is a powerful mechanism for capturing the best practices, insights and innovative solutions that BAE Systems people create every day. The scheme is designed to recognise our extraordinary people for delivering exceptional performance and to share these accomplishments across our global organisation.”

The Bronze awards were presented by Colin and GCS Managing Director Charlie Blakemore in the categories of Innovation, Enhancing Customer

vroom at the top for 85 chairman’s awards

Performance, Transferring Best Practice and Supporting our Total Performance Culture.

Jan Söderström, MD for GCS Vehicles, Mike Smith, MD for GCS Weapons and Ian Anderton, Acting MD for GCS Munitions showed their appreciation of work put in by the teams by announcing the winners. Attendees travelled from sites in the UK and Sweden and from Hattiesburg in the US and they also included a range of customers, suppliers and partners.

The Gold-nominated Washington FMT outline design was created in March 2009 and 22 potential sites were evaluated, before three sites where down-selected for a detailed design and tendering exercise. Following this nine-month process, the Washington

site was chosen for development. Construction began in January 2010 and 369 days later, the facility was completed and handed over, exceeding all expectations.

Lee Smurthwaite, Operations Director (Acting), said: “Our proven commitment to delivering what the customer needs has been recognised through positive engagement and joint partnering. The feedback we have received has been excellent and a consistent comment has been that the new facility is something BAE Systems should be extremely proud of. The Gold decision will be made in December and we are crossing every finger.”

Other awards given out on the evening included the Co-ordinator of the Year Trophy, which was won for the second time by John Chambers, from Radway Green for all of the excellent work and support he gave to the site during the Chairman’s Awards. Of this great achievement, John said: “This year was my third year as co-ordinator for Radway Green. Listening to the

Silverstone was the bronze setting when gcS celebrated the drive and high performance of its employees

reward and recognition

BeLow: acroSS the finiSh line – Some of the bronze winnerS on the podium

people • 23

excellent ideas that our people have developed and the passionate way that they present them really makes me feel proud of those who participate each year. To win the award again this year was unbelievable and a memory which I will always treasure.”

This year’s event saw the launch of the “Spirit of GCS” award to recognise people whose outstanding ideas, actions and behaviours bring the BAE Systems values of Trusted, Innovative and Bold to life. Bob Kelly, Pete Hughes and Pete Dale are the first recipients of this award for living the true spirit of GCS.

listening to the excellent ideas that our people have developed and the passionate way that they present theM really Makes Me feel proud of those who participate each year

Left: John chamberS from radway green, pictured here with charlie blakemore and colin Spence, receiVed the co-ordinator of the year trophy for the Second time

Bullets on targetmunitions’ radway green site is supporting alsager town football club, known as the bullets, with a donation and volunteers, following a fire that destroyed its original changing rooms.

alsager town includes 17 local football teams of varying age groups and involves around 200 youngsters. our donation will help fund the construction of new changing room facilities. the remainder of the cost will be met through other donations and football association funding.

radway green general manager John moorby said: “the bullets have always been closely associated with the site and in recent years we have supported the club and the radway green estate [built to house the first employees of the factory in the 1940s].”

kilimanjaro challenge nick chinn is to climb mount kilimanjaro in January on behalf of macmillan cancer Support. his target is to raise £5,000.

the gcS weapons procurement director has had the ambition since childhood. why, he does not know, but having made the decision to climb it, he thought it would be good to align his endeavour to a charity, thereby making a small difference to those less fortunate. “it’s important to give something back to society sometimes, as opposed to just take from it,” said nick.

to support nick please go to his Just giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/nick-chinn/eurl.axd/a904cafc c833384995810fefe092333f

24 • people


Eight apprentices from Glascoed have designed and manufactured equipment to help the recovery of wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan.

As part of the BAE Systems Apprentice Innovation Challenge, the apprentices, aged between 19 and 24, invented a visual aid that will enable patients restricted to their beds to see around them as if they are sitting up able to look around.

Four members of the Glascoed team, one of eight competing teams from across the Company, presented their design to an audience of senior military officials, charities, doctors and BAE Systems management during an awards ceremony at the Imperial War Museum, London in November.

The team’s device came first in the category of “Best Customer Focus” because the product met the needs of the customer exceptionally well

with regards to ergonomics.Glascoed apprentice Rhys

James said: “It was great to be at the final ceremony and impress everyone with our design. It would be a huge achievement if our project is moved further on. We would all be so proud to see patients using it in the future.”

The Glascoed team’s product includes a wide view camera and an 18.5 inch LCD screen linked to a computer. As well as looking around the ward, the patient can use the system to watch DVDs, listen to music and view photos and messages left by relatives.

The Apprentice Innovation Challenge is run every two years with different partner charities. This year the Company worked with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham which cares for all British military personnel injured anywhere in the world.

Mike Hammond, the hospital’s chief executive, said: “We have been very impressed with the results. These devices solve real challenges faced by injured soldiers during the first stages of their recovery and rehabilitation.”

Apprentice Innovation Challenge

Glascoed gadget to help wounded heroes

Joint weapons-vehicles scheme global combat Systems in Sweden has recruited six young people for the first trainee programme to be organised jointly by the business’s Swedish operations in Vehicles and weapons.

the scheme gives promising young employees the chance to participate in a two-year programme that offers a valuable opportunity for development, as well as scope for delivering results right from the start.

“it is exciting now that the programme is up and running,” said carin frödeberg, hr manager gcS hr Service and delivery Sweden, who is managing the programme.

“i think it is inspiring to be able to work alongside young talent and watch them develop and grow.”

the Swedish programme is based on the group’s graduate development framework, which is a well-regarded and established development programme that has seen success in the uk for some years.

the framework has, however, been modified to comply with Swedish legislation and regulations.

three people have been recruited to Vehicles in örnsköldsvik and three to weapons in karlskoga. all six completed a rigorous selection process to secure their place on the scheme, which runs for two years and includes four placements within the group.

aBove: the firSt traineeS haVe been recruited for the SwediSh initiatiVe

Sweden introduces trainee programme

Left: four of the glaScoed apprenticeS who repreSented their team at the awardS ceremony with their innoVatiVe ViSual aid for patientS with reStricted moVement –(from left) daVid turner, JoSh carey (on bed), rhyS JameS and owain williamS BeLow: the team’S deVice took firSt place in the “beSt cuStomer focuS” category

BAE Systems Global Combat Systems BAE Systems …€¦ · BAE Systems Global Combat Systems ... intranet, which was launched on 26 September, ... bomb disposal and airfield protection.

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