Boeing

The Boeing Company has awarded a contract to the United Kingdom's Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) for inspection and repair work on CH-47 Chinook helicopter transmissions in Europe.

DARA will be responsible for the tear-down, inspection, repair, reassembly and testing of the transmission assemblies. The work will be done at the DARA Almondbank Facility in Perth, Scotland.

This is the first contract Boeing has established with DARA.

"This contract represents a key step in the cooperative relationships we are forging with the United Kingdom for support of Boeing aircraft in service with our European customers," said Jim Restelli, vice president and general manager of Aerospace Support. "Implementing effective public-private partnerships is a key element in reducing total ownership costs for fielded aircraft systems. We are working to complement our respective capabilities so we can provide world-class life-cycle customer support at the most affordable price."

Boeing and DARA signed a memorandum of partnering principles in August. The agreement established a framework for joint investigation of the potential benefits of closer cooperation in supporting primarily the CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The contract for transmission maintenance is a first step in that partnering, according to Steve Hill, chief executive of DARA.

DARA is owned by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and provides depot-level repair for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft for the Royal Navy, Army and Air Force.

Part of the Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems Group, the fast-growing Aerospace Support business combines maintenance and modification, logistics support services, and training and support systems competencies to offer integrated life-cycle customer support solutions to U.S. and international military services.

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