Fears for Future of St Athan

[Styron]

Wed 15 Sep 2004

Further Job Cuts Feared at Military Jet Repair Hq

By Gemma Collins, PA News

Link to Article
CLICK HERE (http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3498887)


Fears were raised today that more jobs are set to go at a military aircraft repair agency which lost a quarter of its workforce earlier this year.

In March, the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (Dara) was hit with the news that 550 of around 2,000 staff would be axed at its headquarters in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Now Vale of Glamorgan Labour MP John Smith says he is “not very optimistic at all” about the findings of a review of Dara’s future, due to be released tomorrow.

Mr Smith, who met Armed Forces Minister John Ingram yesterday to discuss the so-called end-to-end review, told BBC Radio Wales he feared the results would be “devastating” for his constituency.

“It is my fear the Government is going to take the wrong decision on this – wrong in principle, wrong in practice, wrong for the RAF, wrong for St Athan and wrong for the local economy,” he said.

“Even at this 11th hour, I ask them to think very, very carefully about what they are going to announce.”

In February 2003, Mr Ingram announced that a £77 million state-of-the-art aircraft facility would be built at St Athan.

The development, known as Project Red Dragon and due to open next year, will see the creation of a super-hangar capable of housing 48 fast jets at any one time, as well as workshops and offices.

Of the 550 job losses announced in March, 360 were connected with Project Red Dragon. The development will eliminate the need to duplicate work around the site.

Moving maintenance work on Harrier jets from St Athan would account for the other 190 cuts, employees learned.

At the time, a Dara spokesman said: “It is disappointing for us. This is only one part of the end-to-end programme, so we hope what we have lost on the swings we will be able to gain on the roundabouts.”

Today Mr Smith vowed to mount a campaign to fight any further cuts which may be announced tomorrow.

“I think we should be clear about this – the effect will be devastating,” he said.

“The military has been such an important component of the aerospace industry in South Wales. Other industries have depended on that expertise, knowledge and resource base in the region. You take that away and the whole pack of cards collapses.

“I really don’t believe the people responsible for this decision realise what they are doing.”[

[The Maintainer]

Typical self interest! End-to-End has the potential to save £M for the UK taxpayer, benefitting the country as a whole, without adversely affecting front line capability. Mr Smith is unable, of course, to see outside of the Vale of Glamorgan, and also unable to pass up an opportunity to get some press coverage.

2 questions:

Why is the Scotsman, 'Scottish News direct from Scotland', reporting on a story from South Wales - is it just because Min(AF) is a Scotsman?

Have we got a new Min(AF)? Last time I took any notice, I thought he was called Adam Ingram...

[Jackonicko]

A lot of people at St Athan, blue suited and civilian, have bent over backwards to provide an excellent service for the RAF over the years, regularly going 'the extra mile'. RAF St Athan played a crucial role in the Jag upgrade, and in numerous UORs.

But Harrier maintenance work is being transferred to BAE Systems. Whose track record for providing excellence and value for money may not be quite as impressive.

[just noise]

I would imagine that the Scotsman has got the story because DARA Almondbank is part of DARA, as is St. Athan.

DARA Almondbank is in Scotland, hence the Scotsman interest.

Using your logic, you could argue "Why is the Torygraph reporting on news in Baghdad?"

The bottom line is that due to the Bliar Governments commitment to the defence, and offensive capability of the UK, we can be reassured that the front line has everything it needs to perform its task.

Still Red Dragon will make a good storage depot for Tesco's or Asda. Something positive that will win votes or at least keep voters happy. And paid for by the WDA, bonus.

There again - it could be a holding centre for refugees. That would really make John Smith's day.

[HOODED]

Not all the Harrier work is being transferred to BAe thank goodness. It's a shame though as DARA were getting their act together! BAe still have a long way to go. They are good at writing contracts where they have no penalties for late delivery however.
Some of the work is going to HMF at Cottesmore but the infrastructure for the additional capacity is not in place and engineering manpower cuts as part of the 7500 reduction in the RAF will make the job even more dificult.
One has to say there will be some dificult times ahead due to this decision.

[just noise]

Think of it this way.

With most of the platforms DARA service running to their Out Of Service date, what does the future hold.

Do not confuse DARA St. Athan with RAF St. Athan.

The blue suits stopped working on the aircraft a long time ago. (With a limited exception).

DARA have no in house design capability, so their value to the RAF is limited. Any repairs need to be out-sourced, so why not go direct to the Design Authority?

Most of the facilities at St. Athan are now in the hands of the Army.

Agency status has been the ruination of a bl**dy good 3rd Line facility.

[extpwron]

At the time, a Dara spokesman said: “It is disappointing for us. This is only one part of the end-to-end programme, so we hope what we have lost on the swings we will be able to gain on the roundabouts.”

The “roundabout” may well be the servicing of the RN/RAF Sea King Fleet.

Think about it:
Culdrose concentrating on Merlin (RN & RAF).
St Mawgan closing. (The writing is on the wall)
Where do you deep service the Sea Kings?
St Athan becomes attractive?

[extpwron]

Accepted.
So it’s a two horse race.
My bets are on St Athan. (Politics).

And another thing.

Given a choice, would you rather transition a recently serviced helicopter down several thousand feet of runway (St Athan) or over Portsmouth Harbour/a housing estate/200 foot power lines (Fleetlands)?

[The Maintainer]

justnoise

The Torygraph doesn't claim to be anything other than a newspaper reporting worldwide news - therefore, it's entirely appropriate that it reports on events in Baghdad. The Scotsman, however, runs under the byline of 'Scottish News direct from Scotland', and I fail to see how the loss of a few hundred jobs in South Wales qualifies under that description - even with the connection through Almondbank. I was trying to be ironic...:rolleyes:

I entirely agree with your second post. The service provided by St A has deteriorated since the blue suit element was squeezed out - what used to be an excellent facility is no longer. By taking Agency status, DARA have to accept competition and the rule of market forces - and frankly, they're not up to it. In my experience, their work is no better or worse than the contractors I have dealt with, but they are undoubtedly more expensive. Staff turnover was hideous - when I used to deal with them regularly, it was not unusual to find a different person in a particular post every time you made contact, making continuity almost non-existent. Also, as you point out, they quite often had to go to the OEM for DA advice; it would usually have been quicker and cheaper to go direct to the OEM oneself. In the current climate, the demise of DARA St A was only going to be a matter of time; I'm just surprised it's taken this long.

[extpwron]

Seems I was talking through my hat:

“The Minister of State for Armed Forces, Mr Adam Ingram, announced to Parliament on Thursday 16 September the preferred way forward, subject to Trades Union consultation, for military aircraft support.”

“Depth support for Lynx, Chinook and Sea King would be concentrated at DARA Fleetlands.”

“Work on the Tornado F3 would remain at DARA St Athan during the lifespan of this platform along with the repair and maintenance of the Jaguar and Hawk training fleet. 500 redundancies would be necessary in 2005 and, if no alternative work can be won, DARA St Athan would close in 2009.”

[pr00ne]

500 jobs to go, Tornado GR4 work switched to RAF Marham, base will close if further work cannot be attracted to DARA.

So, Harrier 3rd line to Cottesmore, Tornado GR4 3rd line to Marham, how does this fit with the 7500 reduction in RAF headcount?

[6foottanker]

Having been down on Tuesday, the guys are a bit worried about the changes going on, but most of the jobs at St Athan will be lost by voluntary redundancies, the guys get more money up the road at BA's depot at Cardiff Airport. But The amount of work going on at Saints suggests that fleetlands is coming, and there's no way the place is closing. VC10 minor servicing is already going there, as are a load of RAF guys to assist in this.
Don't know where they're going to put them, cos they've sold most of the quarters off.
And Noise, there is very little of St Athan that the army have that isn't accomodation and car parking!

[Regie Mental]

Chutley

OK, close Saints and we'll align ourselves with Cuba and line our new T-72s along Offa's Dyke to keep out the Brummie tourists. We'll become a boom economy by selling our water at huge expense to you lot and by selling cheap cigars imported from our new found friends. As for 'Y Fali', that can become the UK version of Guantanamo Bay (how about Guano Bay?) where you can lock up the Fox Hunt Protesters without trial.

Let's salsa!