A MALVERN based company, which specialises in the latest defence technology, has announced the signing of multi-million pound new deal for four state-of-the-art helicopters.

QinetiQ, based at a complex in St Andrew's Road, has signed a deal for four Airbus H125 helicopters as part of its modernisation of the Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS), which it manages with support from the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The H125s are being used to train civil and military test pilots and flight test engineers.

The deal is worth around £15 million and sees Airbus Helicopters UK design team upgrade the Garmin G500-equipped aircraft with, among other capabilities, a three-axis autopilot, dedicated communications equipment and Traffic Awareness Systems.

This is in addition to a Flight Test Instrumentation suite, which is used to test and evaluate aircraft design and performance – a critical part of a test pilot or flight test engineer’s training.

The aircraft are expected to enter service in early 2019.

John Anderson, managing director air and space, QinetiQ said: “We and the MOD are investing £85m in ETPS under our strategy to modernise the UK’s Test Aircrew Training capability.

"Assembling a fleet that provides the very best value and performance is vital to this strategy and the H125 will play a leading role.

"It’s an exciting time at ETPS, not just for us, but for our customers.”

Colin James, managing director of Airbus Helicopters, added: “As one of the world’s ‘big four’ test pilot schools, it is hugely encouraging to think that for many years to come, all ETPS helicopter test pilots and flight test engineers will train on Airbus aircraft."

The acquisition of the H125s is part of QinetiQ’s £1 billion deal with the MOD, signed in December 2016, to modernise the UK’s test aircrew training and air range capabilities.