Coventry based NP Aerospace has been awarded a Land Equipment Program - Engineering Technical Support Services Contract (LEP-ETSS) by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND). The contract will run for up to five years with NP Aerospace Canada as prime contractor, forming a strategic alliance with Marshall Land Systems Canada with the support of specialist suppliers and testing facilities. 

Partners include Militex Coatings, Valcom Consulting Group, Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), Ontario Tech University, Motor Vehicle Test Centre (MVTC), managed by PMG Technologies, and the National Research Council Canada (NRC) – Automotive and Surface Transportation.

NP Aerospace says it was selected due to its expertise supporting large military fleets including the UK Ministry of Defence’s Protected Mobility Engineering and Technical Support (PMETS) vehicle contract, which is valued at over CAD$100mn and covers more than 2,000 vehicles. The company has also led complex military platform integrations on platforms such as the Cougar fleet used in Afghanistan and Iraq.

James Kempston, CEO at NP Aerospace, said the Land Equipment Program contract is a significant capability-enabling contract for Canada's DND. “It will allow the Canadian fleet of land equipment to be incrementally and continually improved, at pace, to keep up with technology and demanding user requirements. 

NP Aerospace Canada has supplied significant contracts to the Canadian DND over the past decade, including the CAD$33m CM735 combat helmet contract as well as various contracts for body armour. The LEP-ETSS contract covers research, testing and evaluation, engineering and prototyping, fabrication, technical investigations, the provision of Field Support Representatives and equipment management and documentation services for military equipment. 

The contract will be led out of NP Aerospace Canada's London Ontario facilities and supports the growth of Canada’s Key Industrial Capabilities (KICs) and military exports, building links with academia and Indigenous capabilities and communities.