Upgrade to Armoured Vehicles Boosts ABRO

UK Ministry of Defence, More of the Army's Armoured Vehicles are to be upgraded in response to the changing nature of the threat to our Armed Forces around the world, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram announced today. 
 
The depth repair programme for the FV430 fleet will be extended and there will be extra work for ABRO's armoured vehicle repair centre at Bovington. Repair work on Warrior and Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) will remain at ABRO's current Donnington facility for the medium term. 
 
The need to improve the competitiveness of the business remains. ABRO therefore expects to present revised rationalisation proposals for the armoured vehicle and other business units later this year. 
 
Mr Ingram confirmed that the rationalisation of ABRO's UK-wide facilities that provide unscheduled repair of military vehicles will proceed, with the closure and reprovision of the Colchester site and potential sale and leaseback of the Warminster site. The total reduction in headcount at ABRO's unscheduled repair facilities will be up to 339 posts by April 2008. This will allow the creation of smaller, more efficient, repair centres at the same locations as front line customers. 
 
Mr Ingram said: 
 
“Our Armed Forces operate in some of the most demanding environments in the world and their safety is our number one priority. We are committed to modernising our Armed Forces and I am pleased that the decision to upgrade more of the Army's Armoured fleet means ABRO's Donnington site will remain open for the medium term. 
 
“This does not change the fact that major efficiency improvements are still required if ABRO is to remain competitive and regretfully that will mean job losses. 
 
“For those posts that are affected MoD will try to find alternative employment and we will make every effort to use natural turnover and voluntary redundancy. 
 
“We are committed to modernising our Armed Forces. ABRO is not immune to the difficult changes we have had to make across Defence so that we can make the best use of our resources to support our Armed Forces.”  
 
Background Notes and Information:  
 
1. More information about ABRO can be found at http://www.abro.mod.uk. ABRO provides depth repair to much of the Army's fleet of armoured fighting vehicles, other military vehicles and fighting equipment. 
 
2. In November 2005 the MoD announced Phase Two of the Rationalisation of ABRO. This included the closure of Donnington, which will not now take place in April 2007. It also included the rationalisation of ABRO's unscheduled repair facilities which will still take place today, as described above. 
 
3. The 2004 Spending Review cemented the longest period of sustained real growth in defence spending plans for over 20 years. In real terms, defence spending by 2007 will be 7.5 per cent higher than in 1997. The 2005/06 Defence budget is