[Lenkapuppia]

Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) today announced its factory-owned service center in Chester, United Kingdom, has secured a multi-million pound program of work converting two BAe 146-200QC aircraft for the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) under a sub-contract with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft.


The conversion will take the aircraft from commercial to military configuration for use in both passenger and freight roles by the Royal Air Force (RAF), including the safe transportation of troops during in-theater operations. The two aircraft were acquired by the MoD in a separate transaction with TNT Airways S.A of Belgium and will fill the role of some of the outgoing fleet, particularly the Lockheed C130.

BAE Systems Regional Aircraft at Prestwick will be responsible for the design and integration of the military equipment to be fitted to the aircraft, the sourcing of the equipment, management of the supply chain and overall management of the conversion program. Hawker Beechcraft Services Chester will perform the actual conversion. Both aircraft have been delivered from Belgium to Chester and work is underway, with scheduled delivery to the MoD by March 2013.


HBS Chester has previously completed five other UOR programs for the U.K. MoD, three of which were very similar to this conversion. The facility has considerable expertise in the BAe 146 for the RAF, having originally completed the interior conversions of the BAe 146-100s currently in operation and subsequently upgrading these aircraft in recent years.