Shoreland Access Contracted by Pearson Engineering to Provide Ultrasonic Testing Capability

Challenger 2 Tank (Crown Copyright 2014)

Shoreland Access is pleased to announce it has been subcontracted to provide Non-destructive Testingcapability as part of thePearson Engineering  Challenger 2 Structural Assessment  Programme with UK MoD. Up to 60 Challenger 2 hulls will be involved.

The news follows successful completion of a similar sub-contract with UK MoD’s Defence Support Group (DSG) for Warrior Armoured Vehicle hulls.

Pearson Engineering has a global reputation for designing and delivering Counter-IED, Counter-Mine, Combat Earth Moving, Route Proving and Assault Bridging equipment for Armoured Fighting Vehicles. The company's many years of experience in successfully designing, developing and delivering defence products combined with the acquisition of the Armstrong Works by its parent company Reece Group, provided a unique opportunity to supply complex manufacturing, repair and support services for defence assets such as armoured hulls, turrets, armour packs and military bridges.

The company won this MoD Prime Contract shortly after announcement of its new Assured Manufacturing capability and is now responsible for providing Structural Assessment, Inspection and NDT services to the British Army.

Shoreland Access will develop a testing procedure with Pearson Engineering and will provide specialist Non-destructive testing capability to the company.

The Challenger 2 has been in service with the British Army since 1998 and is considered one of the best tanks in the world. The four-manned vehicle has a drive range of 550km and a top speed of 59km per hour. The vehicle has been a key part of operations in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq in recent times.

Neil Cox, Director of Shoreland Access, commented on Pearson Engineering’s decision to contract them, “This is a huge contract for Shoreland Access. It demonstrates that we are capable of providing key personnel with niche knowledge of the industry to support such an important project. It is a privilege to be one of a select few companies chosen by Pearson Engineering to provide support to their MoD programme. We work in many industry sectors but the defence industry has extra meaning as myself and others within the business served in the military.’

The project will start in January and will be on-going for much of 2015. Shoreland Access is looking forward to expanding further into the defence industry following recent successes.