WORLD-LEADING power systems group Rolls-Royce is to support the Royal Malaysian Air Force fleet of Hawk aircraft that are fitted with Adour engines.

Under the "MissionCare" contract, the RMAF will also be supported by an in-country technical representative and have access to the Rolls-Royce operations centre for 24/7 technical support.

The air force operates both the trainer and light combat variant of the BAE Systems Hawk and is a leading operator of the Adour Mk871, accumulating more than 43,000 flying hours on the engine.

The five-year MissionCare deal worth 75 million pounds covers the overhaul of the fleet of 26 Adour Mk871 engines, an annual training programme for RMAF engineers and the calibration, maintenance and re-certification of the Adour test-bed located at Kuantan air base.

Commenting on the new MissionCare agreement, Benjamin Downing, vice-president of Customer Business at Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace, said: "This long-term MissionCare contract has enabled Rolls-Royce to provide the RMAF with improved support and capability and the additional benefit of a predictable budget cycle.

"The Adour has been a hugely successful engine and we believe that there are great opportunities for Rolls-Royce to further improve the support and performance of the installed fleet by partnering with customers like the RMAF to develop innovative solutions," he added.

Rolls-Royce developed MissionCare as a comprehensive suite of support packages designed to deliver power to customers whenever and wherever they need it.

It says MissionCare provides a simple, structured approach to engine support that offers better value through reduced costs and increased availability and reliability. It enables more predictable budgeting and performance-based metrics and combines the benefits of the experience and expertise gained by Rolls-Royce in supporting more than 160 defence customers.

The Adour engine is produced by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca, Europe's longest-running aerospace joint venture. Since its launch, some 2,800 of the engines have been delivered, accumulating more than 7.5 million flying hours.

General Tan Sri Dato' Sri Azizan bin Ariffin, the chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, commented: "Rolls-Royce has been instrumental in assisting the RMAF to adopt the most suitable solution for its Adour Mk871 engines. We are confident this excellent partnership will continue towards generating a genuine ‘win-win' situation for the coming years.

"Rolls-Royce has made a major contribution to the Malaysian aerospace industry. The long-standing professional relationship between the RMAF and Rolls-Royce has seen many significant achievements and the long-term effects have been outstandingly beneficial to both parties," he added.

The RMAF operates a variety of Rolls-Royce engines, including the Viper, Spey, T56 and Model 250. In addition it has also ordered the Airbus A400M aircraft, powered by the TP400 engine that Rolls-Royce produces with its partners as part of Europrop International. The Royal Malaysian Navy flies the Super Lynx helicopter that is powered by the LHTEC T800, a Rolls-Royce partnership engine with Honeywell.

Rolls-Royce - a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air - has established a strong position in the global markets of civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.

It is the world's number-two defence aero-engine company with 160 customers in 103 countries. The company offers engines in all key defence market sectors - combat, transport, helicopters, trainers, patrol, maritime and reconnaissance - and is well positioned on a number of new programmes that will deliver products over the next decade and beyond.

Rolls-Royce has had a significant presence in Malaysia for many years, since its aero-engines first powered the Comet and F27 aircraft in the 1960s. Today, the company's extensive product range is active in Malaysia across all four of its business sectors: civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy, with Rolls-Royce products available on more than 220 platforms.