Call for Cobham intervention

THE chief executive of an aerospace trade body has called on the Government to intervene in the £4bn takeover of Cobham.

ADS Group boss Paul Everitt urged ministers to secure ‘appropriate commitments’ from the buyer of the Devonbased defence contractor, which is a leading supplier of air- to- air refuelling technology and satellite hardware.

Under plans revealed last week, Cobham is set to be taken private by US-based private equity group Advent International if enough shareholders support a deal. But the bid – which is opposed by Cobham’s biggest shareholder Silchester International Investors – has sparked concerns about the impact it could have on British jobs and expertise.

Everitt said he supported the deal and hailed Cobham as a ‘fantastic business’.

But in a tweet he said: ‘Cobham is a major UK industrial asset and the new government should secure appropriate commitments from its buyers.’ A government spokesman said it was ‘closely monitoring’ the takeover process.