EXCLUSIVE: Isle Of Wight's GKN Involved In Multi Million Pound UK Defence Project

"Cutting edge" technology which is a major milestone for the UK Defence is being built on the Isle of Wight which means the UK's global influence will take an "enormous jump forward in capability".

EXCLUSIVE

As first reported by Isle of Wight Radio, the Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quinn came to the Isle of Wight today (Thursday), where he met the Islanders involved in the £195 million Protector project at GKN Aerospace.

Around 30 to 40 people are involved in manufacturing a key part of a crucial RAF Protector aircraft, the V-tails- the tail at the back end of the aircraft which enables it to steer itself while flying - the first of which are already being made.

RAF Protectors are a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) that provide critical surveillance capability but most impressively, they can persistently sit over a target area for days rather than hours.

Because it is an unmanned aircraft, it can be flown from cockpits in the UK anywhere in the world and it can be deployed to different locations.

It is networked - so can operate with UK satellites and transfer information at speed from the aircraft back down to those who make the decisions.

From inside the aircraft's cockpit, it feels as if you are overhead a target area, according to the Senior Responsible Officer for the Protector Air Commodore Richard Barrow.

He told Isle of Wight Radio "You become immersed in the scenario on the ground and really understand what is happening, which therefore gives you time to make decisions."

He added:

“This is cutting edge technology, it’s the first fully certified aircraft we can operate freely in air space over the UK and Europe, previously we have only been able to operate them in operational scenarios so this is a major step forward.”

“We will crew it with a team of people but we can move those people in and out of the aircraft so with a plane that is airborne for potentially 40 hours or two days over a target area you couldn’t really do that with a manned aircraft... Whereas with a system where you have got people on the ground you can swap crews out and support those people which makes a real difference to us. It doesn’t mean it is without people - we still require people to be in there making the decisions. It is remotely piloted, it is not completely unpiloted.”

Jeremy Quinn standing next to the prototype protector.

Jeremy Quinn Defence Procurement Minister spoke exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio:

“It is great to come to the Isle of Wight with some good news - we have committed 195 million pounds to our protector program - these are incredibly important remotely piloted planes that can fly out and conduct our defence needs around the world."

He has congratulated all the 30 to 40 Islanders involved, Mr Quinn added:

“This is well deserved, our contract is with General Atomics and they could have got these tails built anywhere in the world but they came here to the Isle of Wight because they know they have the capital investment and the skills...It is great that GKN is recognised globally for what they do and they are delivering a really really important capability for the RAF.”

He said the GKN apprentices he met are "rightly” very excited to be involved in the project - which guarantees 200 jobs across the country.

Gary Hernes, Site Director for GKN spoke exclusively to Isle of Wight Radio:

“The benefit for the Island will be securing jobs not only now but for the long term future. And not only that but enabling our RAF colleagues to deploy the mission they need to deploy”.

“I am immensely proud, proud because the Isle of Wight is my home as well but also so we can get future prosperity not only for the UK but also on the Isle of Wight.”

An additional 13 RAF Protectors will be made as part of the investment - which will result in the UK having a fleet of 16 in total and are expected to enter service with the RAF by 2024.

In September, the Protector will be demonstrated and operated in a NATO exercise. In America, the aircraft is currently being tested.