22:24 GMT, January 15, 2010 Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed an innovative service contract worth £865 million with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft which are powered by EJ200 engines, assembled by Rolls-Royce in Bristol.

Under the terms of the contract, which runs until 2019, Rolls-Royce will provide the RAF with a guaranteed level of availability for its EJ200 engines.

Rolls-Royce has been contracted to support the RAF’s EJ200 engine fleet since November 2001 and has consistently met 100 per cent of the performance requirements from the outset.

Martin Fausset, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace, said: “This contract meets the challenge set by the MOD to industry of delivering affordable and innovative support solutions for the Typhoon programme. We apply a high level of technology and innovation into developing support solutions, as we do to developing our engines, which gives the Armed Forces the twin benefits of increased operational capability and better value for money.”

Typhoon Team Leader Air Vice Marshal Chris Bushell said: "Today's announcement of a 10-year engine availability service with Rolls-Royce is good news for us all; the service will maximise aircraft availability by using the most cost-effective solution. Typhoon has now been operational in the air defence role for well over two years and a multi-role capability was integrated and declared combat ready by the RAF in July 2008. The signature of the Partnered Support Operational Phase 3 contract builds on this success and will underpin Typhoon's growing capability and utilisation."

Rolls-Royce undertakes all aspects of EJ200 engine support, including the provision of replacement engines to meet customer demands, and technical support both on-base and from the Rolls-Royce Operations Centre in Bristol.

Rolls-Royce support operations are centred at the Typhoon Propulsion Support Facility at RAF Coningsby, where the RAF’s Typhoon squadrons are based. From there, a team comprising both Rolls-Royce and RAF personnel manages the engine support for aircraft operations in the field and also carries out some engine repairs. This will be augmented in 2010 by a second Main Operating Base at RAF Leuchars where Rolls-Royce will also have a support team.

The majority of engine repairs are undertaken at the Rolls-Royce facilities at Ansty, near Coventry, and Bristol.

Rolls-Royce is a shareholder in Eurojet, the European consortium responsible for the EJ200 engine that powers the Eurofighter Typhoon twin-engine combat aircraft, and has a 37% production share of the programme.