Edinburgh engineer company win MoD award

An Edinburgh aerospace engineering company, Leonardo, based at Crewe Toll, is part of a team who have received an award from the Ministry of Defence.

The award has been given for their pioneering innovation to heighten the protection of UK armed forces personnel in aircraft around the world.

A Commendation Award from the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) has been presented to the Strategic Partnering Agreement Team, led by Dstl and working collaboratively across Ministry of Defence (MOD), Air Command, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and industry partners Leonardo.

Dave Gourlay, Leonardo’s Edinburgh-based Head of DIRCM Campaigns was personally recognised by the VCDS as part of the award.

Miysis DIRCM UK Delivery milestone team photo ref 201008 O34A8172

The team was selected for recognition by the MoD, as they wanted to reward what they consider to be a trailblazing example of a transformational, proactive approach, which has enabled the MoD to embark on a new way to develop, deliver and support critical air survivability solutions. Air survivability refers to an aircraft’s ability to respond with agility and speed to emerging threats from multiple sources.

Edinburgh engineers at Leonardo have created unique innovations to protect the lives of pilots, crews and passengers, allowing them to fly through hazardous situations unharmed.

Norman Bone, Chair and CEO of Leonardo in the UK said: “I’m extremely proud of everyone on the Strategic Partnering Agreement team who worked so hard to create a transformational and collaborative approach to how we improve the safety of our service personnel. Congratulations in particular to Ian Edwards, David Gourlay, and John Curtis on their commendation.”

Dstl’s Interim Chief Executive Doug Umbers, said: “These awards are an incredible achievement and represent individual and team awards for Dstl, notwithstanding the vital collaboration work that is also recognised across government and industry. Dstl has been working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic and many of these awards highlight those teams and individuals involved. I have great pride in congratulating all of them.”

Back in September 2021, Leonardo announced a Strategic Partnering Arrangement (SPA) with the Royal Air Force, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to develop common protective systems for the Nation’s military aircraft. Under the arrangement, Leonardo works with other onshore providers to bring together best-of-UK defensive technology, boosting export opportunities and generating prosperity around the UK.