"Superb" new Aeralis jet developed for Royal Navy and RAF to bring over 900 jobs to Gosport area supply chain

Aviation firm Aeralis is pushing ahead with the development of its Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) - a reconfigurable aircraft which can be changed for different uses. The business will be bringing in technicians at StandardAero in Fleetlands and Hamble Aerostructures to produce the capability, and be part of a consortium known as Aerteam.

CEO Tristan Crawford said he is delighted with the jet’s development and progress to build the first variant. He added: “The programme will deliver significant jobs to the Portsmouth region as well as export growth for the UK economy and with five years of design development already complete, Aeralis and Aerteam is clearly ready to deliver a British designed and British built jet well within this decade.”

What is the new jet and how does it work?

The AJT is earmarked as a potential replacement for BAE Systems’ Hawk T1 and T2 aircraft. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is intent on replacing them before their out of service date with a more cost-effective capability, as set out in the Strategic Defence Review. Aerospace technicians are currently halfway through the design phase for the AJT. This will provide a foundation for a modular and re-configurable aircraft.

It’s primary focus will be on the advanced and technical phases of pilot training - preparing personnel for using high-performance combat aircraft on front-line military operations. The aircraft will be capable of transonic flight, where it experiences a mix of subsonic and supersonic speeds. It will be given the same operational limits of current high-end military fighter craft.

Although the ADJ will be primarily developed as a modular jet trainer for RAF, it’s flexible design could mean it’s given other uses. The craft can be adapted for use in aerobatics displays, such as those performed by the Red Arrows.

A maritime variant has also been included in the design roadmap, where the jets can be adapted for use on Royal Navy aircraft carriers HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth. It’s hoped the re-configurable nature of the craft will make it enticing to overseas investors as well as the MoD.

StandardAero’s government business director, Dave Steer, said: “The modular design is a concept with superb longevity and export potential, meaning that production of the aircraft could occur here for many decades to come. StandardAero’s opportunity to play a leading role in the aircraft’s manufacture would be a hugely positive step in keeping defence investment in the UK.

“An increased demand for technicians would also be a route to unlocking the full potential of our new apprenticeship scheme, which even in its first returning year was hugely oversubscribed.”

Project work has been ongoing since the early 2010s. It was first unveiled to the public in 2015 under the name Dart. The Rapid Capabilities Office of the RAF awarded a three-year contract for the further development of the aircraft.

What work will happen in the Gosport area?

Hamble Aerostructures will be responsible for producing the common fuselage structure for the different aircraft variants. Engineers at Standard Aero will then equip these fuselages to the craft and fit all of its internal systems. This will including wiring, pipe work, and installing major systems such as the auxiliary power unit (APU), heat exchangers and undercarriage.

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Aeralis said when production reaches full rate, over 900 jobs will be supported in the local supply chain across the Gosport and Hamble area, and nationally. StandardAero’s UK managing director, Simon Jones, said the project has the potential to add a substantial number of jobs to the company’s highly skilled workforce.

He added: “The prospect of our Gosport facility building the first jet trainer to have been designed in Britain for 50 years is hugely exciting for StandardAero and our local community. Leveraging our years of experience in rebuilding airframes, we have both the capability and the capacity to establish a new-build production line in Gosport.”

The town’s Conservative MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage, hailed the potential of new jobs coming to StandardAero. She added: “The company is vital to opportunity creation and skills development in our area, and I am keen to support them any way that I can, including by pushing for the MoD to select the Aeralis bid, which would be a great boost for British Defence manufacturing.”

Hamble Aerostructures were approached for comment. The MoD said an RAF programme team is being established to deliver the Advanced Jet Trainer capability. Aeralis is one of the many companies producing such an asset, with the procurement process still ongoing.