TPT November 2016

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Two coups for the United Kingdom: at sea (nuclear submarines) and in the air (commercial drones) › The US Navy has selected Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd to build critical components for its new generation of Columbia-class nuclear missile submarines. As reported by industry editor Alan Tovey of the Telegraph , the $30 million contract for the submarines – which are to replace the current Ohio-class vessels – is an important win for the company, and builds on its decades of supplying components for the Royal Navy as well as earlier US ships. (“Boost for British Steel as Sheffield Forgemasters Wins Deal to Supply US Nuclear Subs,” 9 August) The castings to be provided by Forgemasters are believed to be slated for use in the weapons launch systems of the new vessels. Noting that “these are complex components and require detailed modelling and manufacturing to highly specific tolerances,” CEO Graham Honeyman told the Telegraph that the work was under way, with deliveries to commence this year. Another tranche of components will follow in 2017. Forgemasters, founded in 1805, is expected to play a key role in the construction of Britain’s own next-generation Successor nuclear submarines. That $40.7bn programme (with a $13.1-billion contingency fund) is moving ahead after July’s parliamentary vote in favour of replacing the Royal Navy’s Trident submarines. Mr Tovey noted that the importance of Forgemasters to Successor was highlighted when – orders from the offshore oil and gas industry having dried up – BAE Systems, Rolls- Royce, and Babcock joined forces to offer the company a $39.4 million support package. “The three blue-chip engineering businesses,” he wrote, are themselves key partners in the programme to build the new fleet of Royal Navy submarines. Last year, Forgemasters, which is privately held, was reported to have attracted the attention of Chinese investors, but nothing came of discussions. According to the Telegraph , “winning sensitive contracts for nuclear submarines” is likely to put paid to overtures from other prospective stakeholders. › In another significant win for the UK, Amazon is partnering with the British government to significantly expand drone testing, a move that could allow the devices to deliver to British homes far earlier than in the United States. Britain’s aviation regulator will let Amazon test several aspects of drone technology that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not permitted. The tests have already begun. As reported by Cecilia Kang in the New York Times (“Amazon Expands Drone Testing in Britain,” 25 July), the partnership puts pressure on the FAA, which has rebuffed requests by Amazon, Google and other drone makers to advance their delivery plans. She noted that “tech behemoths and other drone makers” have aggressively lobbied the FAA to authorise the devices to significantly reduce costs to transport by airplane, freight and trucks. Ms Kang wrote that Amazon is working with British regulators in the trials of drones that fly beyond the line of sight of operators in rural and suburban areas. It is also testing

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