News - Javelin Joint Venture Selected For Light Forces Anti-Tack Guided Weapon system.

In February 2003 the Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Bach, announced that the Javelin Joint Venture had been appointed as the preferred supplier of the Light Forces Anti- Tank Guided Weapon System (LFATGWS). The contract to supply the British Army with the Javelin anti-tank weapon system is around £300M and production will take place in the UK. Javelin Joint Venture (JV), as prime contractor, is a partnership between Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation, of the US, both world leaders in anti-armour weapon systems.

Bob Dyke, Managing Director of Leafield Engineering Limited (LEL) said “ Leafield is a world leader in the design and assembly of complex safety critical military equipment for the UK armed forces and we are extremely pleased to be part of the winning Javelin team. This contract represents a significant business opportunity for us and will help to secure jobs, technology transfer and investment in the UK.”

“The Javelin JV carried out an intensive assessment of UK industrial capabilities that eventually led to the selection of 24 UK companies, including Leafield, being nominated as members of the UK Javelin team. An important part of the JV approach was to offer 100% direct and indirect offset to the UK Government and this process has already started by qualifying UK companies for UK and the follow on production for US and other customers.”

“Leafield has been contracted to supply the Drill Round which forms part of the training package. We have worked with JV on developing an enhanced design Drill Round for the UK that offers more user representative interfaces than the model currently supplied to the US forces.”

“We are particularly pleased to be involved in this design, development and production programme as we see an increasing demand, relating to a variety of defence programmes, for training equipment that compliments the engineering skills and expertise resident within Leafield.”

“Training equipment is invariably required in advance of the tactical units, which often means having relatively short programme lead-times. As a very responsive company Leafield is very well placed to react to these typical demands by adopting a “can do” approach.”

“We look forward to delivering the system to the Army and to creating further job opportunities through potential future sales of Javelin to the US and other export customers.”

For further information contact:
Leafield Engineering Limited
Leafield Way,
Corsham,
Wiltshire SN13 9SS,
UK