Marshall Aerospace marked the official opening of its new state-of-the-art Aerostructures production facility with an event attended by Boeing Defence UK Managing Director Steve Burnell and Air Commodore Alex Hicks, the UK Royal Air Force’s Assistant Chief of Staff Capability Delivery Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
The facility houses production of auxiliary fuels tanks for the proven P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, a military derivative of Boeing’s civilian Next Generation 737-800. To date, the global operating fleet has surpassed more than 500,000 flight hours with 157 P-8 aircraft delivered to global customers including the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, India, New Zealand and Norway.
The auxiliary fuel tanks extend the flight range of the aircraft and allow for additional time on station. Marshall supplies the tanks in ship-sets of six, along with a number of components. In 2022, Marshall celebrated the delivery of its 1,000th fuel tank.
The new multi-million pound facility will enable the Aerostructures team to fully optimise its production pulse line, supporting the most efficient end-to-end work processes from receipt of parts through to boxing and shipping finished products. The redesign also focused on fostering an innovative and adaptable working environment and culture, with the new production pulse line placing a strong emphasis on promoting interaction and collaboration.
Marshall CEO Kathy Jenkins commented: “We were delighted to be joined by representatives from Boeing and the RAF to mark the opening of our new state-of-the-art facility which embodies the bright future we see for the Aerostructures business.
“It is a template for Marshall’s approach to continuous improvement, and for our dedication to delivering extraordinary results for our customers and will enable us to build on our outstanding service delivery record for this very important customer.”
“As a long-standing and valued supplier to Boeing, we are excited to celebrate the opening of this modernised hangar with Marshall and take our partnership on the global P-8 program to even greater heights,” said Boeing Defence UK Managing Director Steve Burnell. “Marshall’s unique fuel tank technology allows the aircraft to fly longer and further, helping to protect seas and secure borders around the world.”
The new Aerostructures facility incorporates a raft of impressive sustainability measures that support Marshall’s groupwide Ambition 2030 programme to reduce carbon emissions. Chief among these are 50kW solar PV installations on the hangar roof, LED lighting with passive infrared control, high efficiency VRF air conditioning, and four twin-socketed 7kW chargers for electric vehicles. Other features include hot water generation via air source heat pumps, leak detectors on all water services, flow restrictors on water outlets, and low flow WCs.
To learn more about Marshall Aerospace’s production of fuel tanks and systems, visit the dedicated Aerostructures page. For more information on Boeing’s P-8 platform, click here.