DIO showcases infrastructure progress at RNAS Yeovilton
Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Jonathan Woodcock is shown the infrastructure progress being made at the Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton,
Project WINFRA will provide the infrastructure needed to co-locate Wildcat helicopters from both the British army and the Royal Navy at RNAS Yeovilton. Photo: Cpl Kellie Williams. MOD Crown Copyright 2012.
The site is to become the new home for both the Royal Navy’s and the army’s Wildcat helicopter forces.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) Project team is working with partner Carillion on the Wildcat Infrastructure (Winfra) programme to provide the new training and office facilities, squadron buildings and living accommodation which will ensure that both servicemen and women at the air base are able to train for deployment using both the existing fleet of Lynx helicopters and the Wildcat.
The programme is delivering 4 major projects with a value of between £8 million and £52 million. These include the refurbishment and remodelling of a number of hangars and the delivery of technical facilities, together with 2 new build squadron office buildings and a number of other new facilities such as the Warrant Officers and Senior Rates Mess with associated single living accommodation (SLA), cardiovascular fitness suite, Dental Centre, and refurbished Medical Centre.
Matt Thornton, DIO Project Manager said:
DIO is helping keep the country safe by investing in the infrastructure the armed forces need to do their jobs effectively.
Winfra is an exciting and ambitious project which has enabled Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton to become the new home for the army’s Wildcat Helicopter Force, while supporting the transition of the Royal Navy fleet of Lynx helicopters into the new Wildcat maritime helicopter.
When the refurbishment and building work is completed on the site, RNAS Yeovilton will provide the necessary infrastructure to support the navy and army Wildcat in the same operational base. It will also deliver efficiencies as the single operating base for Wildcat. The project is due for completion in early 2017.