Memorandum from Angela Smith MP,
Department for Enterprise, Trade and
Investment (NI)
Ian Rogers, Audit
Adviser to the Defence Committee, wrote
to Leslie Morrison, Chief Executive of
Invest Northern Ireland on 25 January
2006 asking him to provide a Northern
Ireland perspective on the Defence
Industrial Strategy as part of the
ongoing review. I am replying to this
request as Minister with responsibility
for Enterprise Trade and Investment in
Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland's prime Ministry of
Defence contractors at present are
Thales Air Defence Ltd (TADL) and
Raytheon Systems Ltd. TADL employs some
560 people in Belfast. The company is a
recognised prime contractor with the
Ministry of Defence for High Velocity
Missiles and has a niche capability in
Short Range Air Defence as well as
Electro Optic Counter Measures.
TADL represents
some of Northern Ireland's most advanced
capabilities in this very specialised
area of precision engineering design,
development, testing and manufacturing.
Some 40% of TADL's workforce is engaged
in Design Engineering and the company is
a very significant investor in R&D.
I know that TADL
continues to maintain a close
relationship with the Ministry of
Defence and I understand that the
company's core capabilities were
evaluated during the formation of the
White Paper.
I do wish to
take this opportunity to emphasise the
importance of this company, not only as
a significant employer in Northern
Ireland and a major contributor to
economic development, particular in
terms of export sales, but also to the
vital role that it has played in the
past as a provider of some of the UK's
most sophisticated and effective short
range defence weaponry. I know that the
company is already engaged in the
development of the next generation of
sophisticated defence systems as a
partner with the Ministry of Defence.
Raytheon is a
smaller company, based in Londonderry,
with 60 employees. A subsidiary of the
US Raytheon Corporation, the Northern
Ireland operation is involved in
leading-edge work in phased array radar
systems and the development of
leading-edge software for civil and
military air traffic control systems.
The company has participated in major
MoD contracts, including the ASTOR and
JETTS programmes. Raytheon is a valued
Invest NI client which is providing
valuable, high-quality employment in a
disadvantaged area of Northern Ireland.
I would be
grateful if the Committee's attention
could be drawn to both TADL's and
Raytheon's excellent track records as
prime contractors with the Ministry of
Defence and their clear commitment to
playing major roles in the future
development of the UK's defence systems.
27 February 2006
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