MoD Boosts Apache Helicopter Training And Cyber Defence

A £48m contract will provide training for around 50 Apache helicopter pilots and 400 ground crew.

The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says the power of the Apache is a vital part of Britain's defence.

“This £48 million contract will support UK jobs and provide world-class Apache training for our personnel. The Apache is a vital part of the British Army’s fighting force that is helping to keep this county safe."

The work will support around 70 jobs in Dorset, Hampshire and Suffolk with the contractors Aviation Training International Ltd (ATIL)

A new Royal Signals Regiment is to be formed to counter cyber attacks, it was also announced today. 

Its remit will be to distribute information rapidly and effectively, while the Intelligence Corps will be organised to focus on counter-intelligence, security, and cultural understanding.

Announcing the new regiment the Defence Secretary said:

"We are also preparing our forces for the battlefields of tomorrow in an era of complex global challenges by ensuring our formidable Signals and Intelligence Corps are ready for the information warfare of the 21st Century."

The news came at the annual Land Warfare Conference called by the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, to discuss the changing threats faced by Britain's armed forces.