A multimillion-pound Ministry of Defence contract has safeguarded 300 jobs in Fife.
Across the UK 450 manufacturing jobs in the British defence industry have been secured by the £25 million contract awarded to Raytheon UK for new RAF precision weapons.
The bulk of these are in Fife, at the company”s Glenrothes plant, with 150 at its Essex site. It will also sustain jobs for the firm”s sub- contractors.
Fife Council leader Alex Rowley said he was “absolutely delighted” for the workforce. “This is good news for Fife and for the sustainability of jobs here,” he said.
“It demonstrates the confidence in both Raytheon”s management and workforce.”
The MoD has agreed to buy additional Paveway IV bombs from the company, which this year has been awarded contracts worth more than £100m from the MoD for around 1,600 of the missiles.
The weapons are to be carried by British Tornados in Afghanistan and can also be carried by the Typhoon and Lightning II aircraft. Paveway IV proved highly effective during the 2011 air campaign over Libya.
Its Global Positioning System technology gives the UK the capability to conduct 24-hour precision attacks against a wide range of targets. Aircrew have the ability to re-programme the weapon during a mission, offering the capability to attack a wider range of targets.
The Glenrothes workforce will be responsible for the guidance control section of the weapon and will also carry out the final integration of the complete guidance unit.
Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Minister Philip Dunne, said: “This highly sophisticated UK-developed and manufactured weapon is the backbone of the RAF”s precision bombing capability.
“This contract to boost the MoD”s weapon stocks will sustain hundreds of skilled jobs in the defence manufacturing sector in both Scotland and England.
“By balancing the defence budget, we are able to commit with confidence to equipment programmes which help to safeguard our national security.”
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Vice-Marshal Baz North said Paveway munitions had long been a success story for the RAF in terms of their precision bombing capability.
“The ability to operate in any weather means that we are able to support operations 24/7. Paveway IV weapons are a real asset, not only to the RAF, but to defence as a whole.”