NP Aerospace, the global vehicle integrator and armour manufacturer, has today announced the award of a contract by the Belgium MOD (BeMOD) to deliver the remaining 87 Light Tactical Transport Vehicles (LTTV). The original LTTV programme was to deliver 199 of the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG based vehicles to the BeMOD. The contract to deliver the remaining vehicles has been novated following NP Aerospace’s acquisition of the assets of Jankel Armouring Limited, announced on 10 June 2024.
As well as the production of new LTTV vehicles, this contract also includes lifetime in-service support to the LTTV vehicle fleet for which NP Aerospace will use its proven Vehicle Systems, Services and Spares business unit to deliver. In addition to the LTTV contract, NP Aerospace has also signed an in-service support contract with BeMoD for their Rapid Reaction Vehicles (RRV) fleet, a product for which NP Aerospace also now owns the intellectual property.
NP Aerospace will commence the ramp up of the production plan adopting a fresh approach, with operations being established in their Coventry facilities. As already agreed with the customer, a particular emphasis will be placed upon working to the required quality standards and timescales.
NP Aerospace has a fully established vehicle related, UK-based supply chain in place and will be employing proven best practices to deliver a production programme that meets and where possible, exceeds customer expectations, bringing delivery back on track.
The LTTV vehicle is designed to provide a modular and configurable tactical support vehicle that benefits from unique, removable mission modules that enable the vehicle to be re-roled rapidly for operational platform versatility. With a payload of over 3 tonnes, dependent on the final vehicle specification, the LTTV has 3 core variants for Special Operations support, including an ambulance variant. Alongside a user-configurable, fully integrated suite of military sub-systems that includes a removable ballistic protection kit, a Roll-Over-Protection-System (ROPS), weapon mounts and communications fit.
Lieutenant Colonel Jean-François Gennotte from BeMoD said: “We are very pleased with the acquisition of the assets of Jankel Armouring Limited by NP Aerospace, which allowed us to novateour existing contracts and to keep our fleet supported. The long record of experience in this sector of NP Aerospace looks very promising and we are looking forward to a long lasting and hopefully fruitful cooperation.”
James Kempston, NP Aerospace CEO, commented: “following on from our recent announcement regarding the acquisition of Jankel Armouring Limited’s assets, we’re very pleased indeed to announce the award of this major contract, having been novated to us by the BeMoD customer.” He added: “We’re now putting everything in place to get the LTTV programme up and running and delivering to the customer’s expectations. This is great news for NP Aerospace, for our UK supply chain and for Coventry as we continue to create and/or sustain high skilled jobs in the region and across our supplier partnerships.”
Well, this contract is a significant win for NP Aerospace. It not only reinforces their reputation in the defense sector but also showcases their ability to manage and support complex vehicle systems over their lifecycle. The acquisition of Jankel Armouring Limited’s assets seems to have strategically positioned NP Aerospace to take on this expanded role, ensuring continuity and robust support for the Belgium Ministry of Defence’s vehicle fleets.