Army vehicles upgrade announced - graduate jobs

A new wave of graduate opportunities could soon become available now that the Government has sanctioned a £1 billion upgrade of the Army's Warrior armoured vehicles.

The announcement, which will peak the interest of those seeking careers in manufacturing, was made by Prime Minister David Cameron and defence secretary Philip Hammond.

During a visit to Lockheed Martin UK in Bedford they outlined the plans and explained how it will take the service life of the vehicles up to and beyond 2040.

Mr Hammond pointed out that this will give the Army greater flexibility and firepower, while also helping the economy.

He said: "Not only is this fantastic news for the Army, it also represents a great boost to British industry - sustaining jobs, skills and capability within the UK's armoured vehicle sector."

Lockheed Martin UK has been picked out by the Ministry of Defence to manufacture the vehicles, which will create an estimated 600 jobs at the firm and its suppliers.

Mr Cameron said: "It's a £1 billion investment, 90 per cent of the jobs and the work are going to be done here in the UK. That's good for the economy, it's good for our armed forces but only possible because we made difficult decisions."

Copyright Press Association 2011