Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • Cobham expands facilities at RAF Brize Norton

Defence

Cobham expands facilities at RAF Brize Norton

Cobham Mission Systems today announced the expansion of its facilities supporting the AirTanker consortium at Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Above: RAF A330 Voyager refuelling a Tornado and a Typhoon.
Courtesy Cobham © Geoffrey Lee

Cobham Mission Systems aims to increase the capability, speed and efficiency of its repair and return of parts operations. This supports the Voyager fleet of Airbus A330s, which provide state-of-the-art air-to-air refuelling, air transport and aero-medical evacuation capability for the Royal Air Force (RAF).  

Advertisement
Security & Policing Rectangle

“Our team is thrilled to be advancing our Service Centre operations in the AirTanker facility at Brize Norton,” said Jonathan Connell, senior vice president general manager for Cobham Mission Systems in the UK.

“This will allow us to enhance our team’s ability to more rapidly and cost effectively service and repair our equipment installed on the Voyager fleet, which is incredibly critical to the mission of the Royal Air Force. By bringing more of our technology and innovation expertise to benefit broader RAF operations, we’re doubling down on our commitment to helping secure the nation. Additionally, this move gives us a great way to open up more opportunities for repair and service operations through our Service Centre in Wimborne, which will continue to serve as our largest central repair and service hub in the UK.”

By opening more bandwidth of its service and repair team at Brize Norton, Cobham Mission Systems plans to boost service flow and support at its facilities in Wimborne. In total, a core fleet of 10 Airbus A330 Voyager aircraft are supported by a team of designated workshop engineers across the two UK locations.

Cobham Mission Systems continues to invest heavily in further refined technologies, applications and solutions that may inspire future innovations for the aviation marketplace.  

Advertisement
ODU RT

Since being awarded the contract in 2008, Cobham Mission Systems has been providing ongoing support to AirTanker and the Airbus A330 Voyager fleet located at the Brize Norton RAF base. Located about 75 miles north-west of London, Brize Norton is the largest RAF station. Cobham is a core part of the AirTanker team, who provide air transport and air-to-air refuelling capability.
 
Cobham Mission Systems provides the most trusted solutions in aerospace globally today, ranging from cutting edge, reliable air-to-air refuelling solutions that include modern tanker hose and drogue equipment, to modern and fully digital electric systems as well as advanced life support solutions. Now delivering fifth-generation hose and drogue designs, Cobham Mission Systems provides a comprehensive portfolio of air-to-air refuelling products that include wing pods, fuselage refuelling units, buddy-buddy refuelling and a range of refuelling probes.

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
Serco secures Asia Pacific defence contracts

Defence

Serco secures Asia Pacific defence contracts

7 January 2026

Serco has reinforced its position in Asia Pacific with contract wins and extensions in the defence sector in Australia, including a successful rebid of the HMAS Watson Navy Synthetic Warfare Training contract for the Royal Australian Navy.

Babcock and Frankenburg Technologies partner on counter-drone system

Defence

Babcock and Frankenburg Technologies partner on counter-drone system

7 January 2026

Babcock has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Frankenburg Technologies to explore the development of a new and affordable air defence system in response to the increase of one-way attack drones.

Cranfield University continues collaboration with HMGCC

Defence Security

Cranfield University continues collaboration with HMGCC

7 January 2026

Cranfield University is continuing to help address national security engineering challenges through an ongoing collaboration with HMGCC (His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre) and its Co-Creation initiative: a partnership with Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory).

IFS to acquire Softeon

Aerospace Defence Security

IFS to acquire Softeon

6 January 2026

IFS today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Softeon, a provider of cloud-native Warehouse Management, Warehouse Execution and Distributed Order Management solutions.

Advertisement
ODU RT
UK and Germany sign £52m advanced artillery contract

Defence

UK and Germany sign £52m advanced artillery contract

6 January 2026

Military artillery that can fire on the move and hit targets 70 kilometres away has been secured under a major £52 million contract between the UK and Germany.

Defence Medical Services awards Project Mercury contract to Avenue3

Defence Security

Defence Medical Services awards Project Mercury contract to Avenue3

6 January 2026

A £2.5 million contract to develop a Deployed Clinical Record system to enable defence clinicians to access military medical records anywhere in the world - Project Mercury - has been awarded by the Defence Medical Services, to Leeds based digital health-care solutions consultancy Avenue3.

Advertisement
Security & Policing Rectangle
Advertisement
Babcock LB Babcock LB