Belfast Telegraph

New boss at BAE systems announces plans to cut 1,900 jobs

- BY ALAN JONES

DEFENCE company BAE Systems is planning to cut almost 2,000 jobs in its military, maritime and intelligen­ce services under moves to streamline its business and have a “sharper” competitiv­e edge.

The biggest cutback will be in the military air business, with 1,400 jobs set to be axed across five sites over the next three years, including Warton and Samlesbury in Lancashire, where the Eurofighte­r Typhoon aircraft assembly takes place.

Jobs will also be cut at Brough in East Yorkshire and at RAF bases in Marham, Norfolk, and Leeming in North Yorkshire.

Around 375 proposed redundanci­es were announced in BAE’s maritime servicing and support business, mainly affecting Portsmouth.

Some jobs will also go from the company’s cyber intelligen­ce business in London and Guildford.

Chief executive Charles Woodburn said: “The organisati­onal changes we are announcing today accelerate our evolution to a more streamline­d, de-layered organisati­on, with a sharper competitiv­e edge and a renewed focus on technology.

“These actions will further strengthen our company as we deliver our strategy in a changing environmen­t.”

Mr Woodburn said when he was appointed in July that he wanted to look at making efficienci­es and streamline the business. BAE is facing an order gap for the Typhoon so production is being slowed ahead of an expected order from Qatar.

Production of the Hawk jet aircraft is ending in the next few years, affecting the Brough site, although Qatar could place a new order which would keep production going until 2010. Around 400 redundanci­es are being planned at Brough.

Most of the military air job cuts will go in 2018 and 2019, with some planned for 2020 and BAE said its goal is to achieve as many voluntary redundanci­es as possible. Around 375 job losses are planned for the maritime servicing and support business, with 340 in Portsmouth.

BAE’s cyber intelligen­ce business will cut 150 jobs, split between sites in London, Guildford in Surrey, and overseas. In total 1,915 jobs will be lost.

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