Airbus Defence and Space to provide UK Armed Forces with personal communications until 2022

Summary

• · Airbus Defence and Space to continue providing WelComE welfare services to UK Armed Forces until 2022 · New technology and more flexible services included in £15.7m contract

The UK Ministry of Defence has renewed a contract worth £15.7m with Airbus Defence and Space to provide the core WelComE welfare service to the UK Armed Forces until August 2022.

Airbus Defence and Space has been providing WelComE services to the UK MoD for 16 years including delivering welfare communications in a number of operational environments. The service has evolved and been expanded over the years from the provision of satellite phones and associated facilities to full WiFi services and video calling on operational bases.

Over 132,000 service personnel have used the service and over 500 million minutes of calls have been provided by the WelComE service.

Thousands of UK service personnel can look forward to new technology and solutions using the secure network that WelComE provides and have confidence in using a service that is established and trusted.

Steve Kelly, the WelComE Service Manager at Airbus Defence and Space said: “Communication is vital to the morale of the forces deployed overseas and to know that our service brings some comfort makes it all the more important to us. We are both proud and excited to continue to provide the WelComE service to personnel when they are away from home.”

Flight Lieutenant Tom Goble, the WelComE Service Owner said: “It's reassuring to know that wherever British Forces deploy around the world, there is support in place to ensure we have a safe line of communication with our friends and family back home.”

Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space, a division of Airbus Group, is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise and the second largest space business worldwide. Its activities include space, military aircraft and related systems and services. It employs more than 38,000 people and in 2015 generated revenues of over 13 billion Euros.