MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE
Aug 04. MoD staff are in the process of moving back into the Main Building, following its redevelopment. An advance party of about 50 moved into the eighth floor of the building on 24 May 04 and it should be completely reoccupied by 24 Sep 04. Just over 3,100 (military and civilian) staff will occupy the Main Building, with the Defence Intelligence Staff in the Old War Office and 900 other MoD employees in St George’s Court.Five former MoD Buildings in London are for disposal, either by sale or by non-renewal of leases: 3-5 Great Scotland Yard; the Metropole Building and Northumberland House in Northumberland Avenue; St Christopher House in Southwark and St Giles Court in Holborn. Comment: On 5 May 00 the Defence Secretary announced a Private Finance Initiative arrangement whereby Modus Services was to redevelop the Main Building and manage and maintain it and the Old War Office for 30 years, at an annual cost of £55m (i.e. a total of £1,650m). Internal demolition of the Main Building started on 13 Aug 01, a day after removals had been completed. Successive Ministerial Answers have been confusing as to the cost of the Main Building’s refurbishment within the above total. A forecast of £175m was given on 3 Nov 99, to be followed by actual costs of £350m
20 Aug 04. RAF News noted that plans for the expansion of RAF Northolt had moved forward with the approval (11 Aug 04) of the next phase of Project MODEL (MoD Estate in London). Within the next two years a developer is to be selected for the ‘core site’ at Northolt and surplus sites prepared for disposal.
Comment: Details of Project MODEL were first outlined by the Junior Defence Minister on 29 Oct 02.RAF Northolt and the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich are to be developed as MoD ‘core sites’, absorbing a variety of minor units scattered around the greater London area. RAF Uxbridge is to close, with units moving to ‘core sites’, and has been offered to the US Navy as a ‘core site’. Should the US Navy not wish to co-locate its seven London-based minor units, Uxbridge will be sold. RAF Bentley Priory is also to close. Project MODEL is expected to be self-financing, with revenue from disposals funding redevelopment. The Project, which should be well underway by 2009, excludes the main barracks in central London. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS
Issue 04/33,23 Aug 04)
23rd Aug 04. Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL), Broughton, has appointed Peter Collins as the UK Test/Project pilot for the ASTOR Sentinel R Mk 1 aircraft for delivery to the RAF. Peter also joins the company as Head of Flying and will, in fact, be responsible for all flying activities at Raytheon’s Broughton facility.
27 Aug 04. Aaron Penkacik has been named chief technical officer for BAE Systems
Information & Electronics Systems Integration (IESI) sector. As IESI CTO, Penkacik will lead the sector’s effort to identify and develop new technology opportunities, overseeing company- and government-funded research and development and product venture projects.In that role, he leads the Advanced Systems & Technology organizations within the two sector business units: the Information and Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS) business unit headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire, and the Communication, Navigation, Identification and Reconnaissance (CNIR) business unit in Wayne, New Jersey. Penkacik will also continue to serve as IEWS CTO and Advanced Systems & Technology vice president.