BAE Systems' engineer awarded MBE
Phil Burns (above), a Senior Engineering Manager at the company’s Submarines division in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was honoured for his services to the defence industry having spent 38 years working at the shipyard.
It is the second successive year that someone from BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s honours after Welding Training Instructor Joe Murphy was also awarded the MBE in 2011.
The 54-year-old engineer said: "I am deeply proud and honoured to have received this award. It is not only an acknowledgement for myself, but for the teams that I have worked with over the years. To be recognised in such a way for doing a job that I enjoy is indeed an honour and has come as a big surprise."
He began his career as a craft apprentice in 1973, after which he undertook various engineering positions, culminating in his current role on the Vanguard submarine replacement programme.
Highlights have included being part of the team that masterminded the company’s transition to computer aided design (CAD), and the introduction of the first enterprise CAD system into the design offices, on which Astute later became the first UK submarine to be designed in its entirety.
John Hudson, Submarines Managing Director, added: “On behalf of everyone at BAE Systems I would like to extend my congratulations to Phil on the awarding of his MBE. This is a tremendous personal honour and extremely well deserved.
“Phil has made an outstanding contribution to engineering on both the Astute and CVF (Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier) programmes.”
He also enjoyed a spell on the Upholder class diesel-electric submarines, now the Canadian Victoria class, followed by work on first-of-class Trident deterrent submarine HMS Vanguard, which he was with until handover to the Royal Navy.
After managing a team of engineers providing support to Barrow-built Auxiliary Oiler and Landing Platform Dock ships, he joined the Astute submarine team in 2003 before moving on to the aircraft carrier programme. As Engineering Manager, his responsibility was to interface with BAE Systems Maritime - Naval Ships and other alliance yards to co-ordinate delivery of the Barrow element of the design, which was lower block 03. That programme was completed in June 2011.
