LONDON, Jan. 19 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* 250 skilled jobs supportedby £205 million investment inspecialist UK supportfor the RAF's Typhoon fighter jets, keepingaircraftmission-ready. * Typhoons play a critical role inprotecting the UK and our allies, with recent operations in Eastern Europe andcounteringDaesh. * Workers will benefit across thecountrywithjobs at sitesincluding in Lancashire,Lincolnshireand Hampshire.

250 high-skilledjobshave beensecuredacross the countryas the MODtodayinvestsover£200millionwith British industry toensure the RAF's Typhoon fighter jet fleet is ready to protect the UKand NATO allies.

Awarded toBritish companyQinetiQ,the work willdeliverspecialist technical andengineeringsupportto the Typhoon fleetover five years. The£205 millioncontractshows howthe MOD is investing incapabilities across the country, underlining howdefence is an engine for growth.

The contract extension willsupportjobsacross the country, includinghighly-skilledengineering jobs at QinetiQ, MOD and RAF sites inFarnborough, MODBoscombe Down,Malvern,Lincoln,Bristol,RAF Coningsby, andWarton.

The five-year agreementprovides technical, airworthiness and safetyexpertiseand support. This support is essential formaintainingaircraftthat travel at twice the speed of sound andoperatein demanding conditions.That work includes engineering support help the MOD deliver the newcutting-edgeEuropean Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2,which will allow theaircraftto simultaneously detect,identifyand track multiple targets in the air and on the ground.

The Typhoon is the RAF's primaryfighter jet, with theaircraftprotectingthe UK's skies around the clock, as well asdeployingon operations worldwide.Continuing to upgrade Typhoons was a commitment in the Strategic Defence Review, forming part of the next-generation of the Royal Air Force.

Typhoons haverecentlysupported NATO's eastern flankthrough Operation Eastern Sentry andconductedairstrikeoperationsagainstDaesh terroristsin the MiddleEast.

Last year the government secured a further 20,000 jobs across the UK through the largest fighter jet deal in a generation, selling 20 world-leading Typhoons to Türkiye in an £8 billion boost to the economy and strengthening NATO's collective security.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said:

OurTyphoon fighter fleetis the backbone of Britain's air defence and keeps our nation secure at home and strong abroad, deploying across the world in support of our allies.

Through ourcontinued UK investment in the Typhoon programme andlast year's £8 billionTyphoon exportdeal with Türkiye,we are showing how defence is an engine for growthsupporting prosperity across the country.

The UK is committed to the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War - hitting 2.6% of GDP from 2027.

The Typhoon fleetremainscentral to UK and NATO defence. This contract ensures theaircraftwill continue protecting British skies and supporting allies for years to come.

QinetiQ has delivered technical andengineering support to Typhoon since the inception of the programme, work thatcontinues torepresentvalue for money while meeting the RAF's operational requirements.

Steve Wadey, Group Chief Executive Officer atQinetiQ, said:

This contract is a testament to our commitment to the government's defence as an engine for growth agenda. We're backing UK businesses, modernising how we deliver and ensuring the operational readiness of our armed forces.

Working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, we are investing in cutting-edge technology that increases our productivity and elevates our vital expertise, meaning we can get mission critical capability in to the hands of our warfighters at pace and reduced cost.

The contract is an extension of the existing Engineering Delivery PartnerPartnershipContract betweenthe MOD and theAurora consortium, of which QinetiQ isthe prime.

Lyndon Hoyle, DE&S Typhoon Team Leader, said:

This contract ensures our Typhoon fleet continues to receive the expert engineering support it needs to remain ready for missions. Working alongside DE&S and RAF colleagues, QinetiQ's team has delivered outstanding technical and safetyexpertiseover many years, and this extension allows us to build on that proven partnership. Their work is essential to keeping theseaircraftsafe and capable, whether protecting UK airspace or supporting operations worldwide alongside our allies.

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