Local MP Caroline Dinenage has today welcomed an announcement from the Prime Minister, detailing a £420 million Ministry of Defence contract to be completed at Vector Aerospace in her Gosport constituency.
The five year contract will see Boeing provide the in-service support for the Chinook helicopter at Fleetlands, securing 450 jobs and saving the taxpayer £150 million. Chinook is the UK's only military lift helicopter, able to transport up to 54 troops or 10 tonnes of supply. The contact will support the RAF's fleet, which will be 60 strong by early 2017 and includes the new Mark 6 helicopters.
Today's news follows on from an announcement made last week that Vector Aerospace is set to receive £2 million from the Regional Growth Fund.
Commenting on the announcement, Caroline said:
"Hearing that this important military contract will be carried out at Fleetlands is very welcome news for our area. Not only will it secure a huge number of jobs and boost our local economy, it also highlights the excellent engineering capabilities housed in the Gosport area.
We have a proud history of supporting the military and I am pleased that this new contract will ensure that we continue to do so."
Since becoming elected, Caroline has been committed to protecting Gosport's defence industry and frequently raises local issues with her Ministerial colleagues at the Ministry of Defence.
