10:39am Monday 26th July 2010
By Gareth Lewis
THE warship engineers of the future will be trained at Southampton University after it today signs a major new partnership agreement with BAE Systems.
Part of the Hampshire based shipbuilding and defence industry giant’s commitment to maritime research and development, the deal will see the university produce the talent needed to underpin the future of the business.
BAE Systems, which bought VT Group’s Portsmouth shipbuilding facility last year, will provide expert guest lecturers, give students on the course placements and carry out cutting edge research in Southampton.
A spokesman said: “The partnership will focus on strategically important areas of platform systems technologies, industrial/systems engineering, and readiness and sustainment, which are fundamental to the long-term sustainability of BAE Systems’ maritime operations and the wider industry in the UK.”
The announcement comes hard on the heels of the commissioning ceremony of the latest product of the Portsmouth shipyard, the Al-Rahmani, pictured, the second of three corvettes on order from the Royal Navy of Oman.
Alan Johnston, managing director of BAE Systems’ Surface ships division, said: “We have been building ships for the RNO for over 30 years and are proud of the close working relationship we have developed, which is helping us to deliver the extremely sophisticated naval capability to the Royal Navy of Oman.
“Today’s event reflects the significant progress on this programme and reinforces our position as a leader in the global market to design, build and support warships for navies around the world.”
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