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Press releases 2003

18 December 2003 VT hands over third OPV to Royal Navy VT Shipbuilding (formerly Vosper Thornycroft) has handed over the last of three offshore patrol vessels for the Royal Navy in a ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base.
12 December 2003 VT Halmatic completes world's tallest yacht mast VT Halmatic has completed production of the world’s tallest yacht mast, which will be fitted on the Mirabella V under construction by parent company VT Shipbuilding.
21 November 2003 Final RN ship sales from Woolston shipyard The final Royal Navy ship to be built at VT (formerly Vosper Thornycroft) Group’s Woolston shipyard will sail from the yard on Monday (November 24). HMS Mersey, the third of three 80m. River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, will conduct further trials at sea before sailing into her new home port at Portsmouth Naval Base in preparation for her official acceptance the following Friday.
18 November 2003 Radio Prague use VT Marlin Communications to target South America Radio Prague, the international arm of Czech Radio have signed a contract with VT Merlin Communications to broadcast programming on its network of high power SW radio transmitters. The programme is a daily service in Spanish directed at the Southern Americas. It runs from 0000 to 0030 UTC on a frequency of 11.665 KHz.
11 November 2003 VT signs services agreement with S and D Yachts VTMP Ltd and S & D Yachts have signed a Service Agreement to cover the overhaul and repair of all VT Stabilizer & Bow Thruster equipment at the S & D Yachts facilities in Malta.
11 November 2003 Interim Results for the Half Year Ended 30 September 2003 VT Group plc, the government support services and shipbuilding group, announces interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2003.
10 November 2003 Titan Environmental surveys and VT Marine Services announce teaming agreement Titan Environmental Surveys Ltd. and VT Marine Services, part of the VT Group (formerly Vosper Thornycroft) are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of negotiations to enter into a teaming agreement to supply survey services to the offshore wind and marine renewables industry.
10 November 2003 Severn Park establishes VT Group as leading Fire Fighting training provider VT Group has become established at the forefront of fire fighting training provision with its major PFI (Private Finance Initiative) investment in Severn Park for the Somerset, Avon and Gloucestershire brigades.
10 November 2003 SEEDA ‘Lean Manufacturing’ Programme Officially Launched £5 million scheme aims to increase South East productivity over three years The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and programme managers KPMG officially launched the ‘SEEDA lean manufacturing’ programme with a reception at boatbuilder VT Halmatic’s Portchester headquarters recently.
28 October 2003 VT starts TYPE 45 production at Portsmouth Warship building returned to Portsmouth Naval Base after more than 35 years today (Monday, October 27) when production work started at the VT Group’s new facilities on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer.
16 October 2003 VT Careers Management launches new product in Oman VT Careers Management recently hosted a seminar as part of Oman's British Friendship Week. Attended by over forty delegates from government, public and private sectors, its primary aim was to introduce the company, its history, background and business activities.
29 September 2003 VT Merlin Communications unveil UK's first high power medium wave digital transmitter On the 24th September - Simon Tarrant, Managing Director, VT Support Services and Benny Ammar, Head of Go Digital, BBC World Service jointly unveiled the UK’s first medium wave Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) transmitter. The event took place at VT Merlin Communications site at Orfordness, East Anglia.
29 September 2003 VT Merlin support ESA Smart-1 launch The European Space Agency DIANE tracking station in Kourou, French Guyana, which is operated and maintained by a team from VT Merlin Communications, played a major role in the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) of the SMART-1 space probe. The launch took place on the 27th of September 2003.
11 September 2003 Connexions Year 11 Filofax - arriving in schools soon The Connexions Year 11 filofaxes will begin arriving at schools at the beginning of September 2003.
11 September 2003 JobinfoSE website now live! Aimed at employers and training providers, this website has been renamed (previously known as Careers Connector) in order to better reflect its purpose and make it more meaningful and recognisable to target markets.
10 September 2003 VT Group agrees to team with Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce for UK MoD Military Flying Training System VT Group today agreed to team with Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce plc to pursue the Training Systems Integrator role for the UK Ministry of Defence’s Military Flying Training System (MFTS).
09 September 2003 New HPV design provides multi-role capability VT (Vosper Thornycroft) Shipbuilding has underlined its reputation for innovation in ship design by unveiling a general purpose Helicopter Patrol Vessel (HPV) that takes multi-role capability to a new level.
09 September 2003 VT Group opens world's most advanced Naval shipyard VT Group will be strongly placed to play a major role in future Royal Navy and overseas shipbuilding programmes following the opening of new facilities in Portsmouth Naval Base.
09 September 2003 New Business for VT Halmatic VT Halmatic, one of the world’s leading suppliers of small military craft, has secured new orders from the British Army and Royal Navy.
09 September 2003 VT Group secures follow-on FAC order for Hellenic Navy VT (formerly Vosper Thornycroft) Group has signed a contract with Elefsis Shipbuilding extending its agreement for the construction of 62m. Fast Attack Craft for the Hellenic Navy. Under the extension, VT and Elefis will supply two follow-on ships.
09 September 2003 VT Army Training extends agreement with Kuwait VT Army Training has extended its agreement with the Kuwaiti Armed Forces to train officers up to degree level in engineering, utilising facilities at the British Army Royal and Electrical Mechanical Engineers Arborfield and Bordon bases.
09 September 2003 VT Merlin commences HF Communications contract VT Merlin Communications has started a rationalisation and upgrade programme for long distance strategic communications between Army units, RAF aircraft, Royal Navy warships and UK headquarters.
09 September 2003 VT Army Training awarded £5 million contract as Bowman Training Partner VT Army Training, has been selected by Westland Helicopters Ltd, an AgustaWestland company, as its Bowman Training partner in a £5m. contract.
12 August 2003 VT Group PLC announces sales of VT Controls and VT Brisco VT Group plc announces the sale of VT Controls to Rolls-Royce for £11m cash. VT Controls, part of the Group’s Marine Products business, is a leading supplier of electrical systems for naval platforms to navies around the world. The sale involves naval and marine activities and does not include activities in supplying controls to the aviation sector.
30 July 2003 Second Hellenic Navy FAC launched The second of three initial fast attack craft being built for the Hellenic Navy by Elefsis Shipbuilding (ES), working in conjunction with the UK’s VT (Vosper Thornycroft) Shipbuilding, has been launched in Greece.
09 July 2003 VT Group signs contract with MoD for Strategic Defence Communications VT Merlin Communications, part of VT Group plc, has signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the Defence High Frequency Communications Service (DHFCS). This will deliver beyond line of sight High Frequency (HF) communication services to the three armed services and other authorised users.
09 July 2003 VT Aerospace Press Release VT Aerospace has recently signed a Partnering Agreement with the Royal Air Force’s Training Group Defence Agency (TGDA) to build on the good relationship established on the Light Aircraft Flying Task (LAFT) Contract. Starting from this summer, the agreement commits both parties to work together to identify further efficiency gains in the organisation and develop additional business opportunities.
08 July 2003 VT Merlin signs major 220 Million Strategic Defence Communications Contract with MOD VT Merlin Communications, part of VT Group plc, has signed a major £220m contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the Defence High Frequency Communications Service (DHFCS), which will see VT Merlin deliver beyond line of sight high frequency (HF) communication services to the three armed services and other authorised users.
03 July 2003 VT Controls Win Challenging Switchboard Replacement Contract VT Controls Ltd (VTC), part of the VT Group, are pleased to announce that they have won a competitive tender from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) for the supply of a replacement main switchboard for RFA ARGUS.
25 June 2003 HMS Mersey to be final RN ship launched from Woolston The launch of HMS Mersey has brought to an end to nearly 100 years of Royal Navy shipbuilding by VT (formerly Vosper Thornycroft) Group at its Woolston shipyard).
20 June 2003 VT Controls Sponsor HMS Albion Commissioning Ceremony VT Controls Ltd, part of VT Group, were proud to be one of the sponsors for the HMS Albion Commissioning Ceremony, which took place on the 19th June, at the Devonport Naval Base, Plymouth.
09 June 2003 VT Merlin to participate in DRM's inaugural broadcasts on June 16, 2003 VT Merlin Communications will participate in the world’s first, daily Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) broadcasts on June 16th, 2003. VT Merlin will be providing the DRM transmission platform for a number of international broadcasters, including BBC World Service, Wales Radio International and Christian Vision, as part of DRM’s Inaugural Broadcasts event in Geneva during the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC 2003). VT Merlin has two high power short wave transmitters converted to DRM capability, which will deliver digital AM transmissions for Geneva and Western Europe. In addition, they will also be using their new DRM capable high power medium wave transmitter at their MF site in Orfordness, Suffolk, UK to carry BBC World Service DRM programming. The precise moment of the world’s first DRM broadcasts will be marked at a spectacular reception at Geneva’s Château de Penthes.
03 June 2003 VT Merlin assist ESA in the first European mission to Mars VT Merlin Communications, part of the VT Group plc, played a role in the launch and early orbit phase of the European Space Agency (ESA) MARS EXPRESS satellite. The satellite was launched on a Soyuz/Fregat launcher, built by Starsem, the European/Russian Launcher Consortium on Monday 2nd June 2003 at 19.45h CEST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
20 May 2003 Chairman's Statement 2003 I am delighted to be able to report in this, my first annual statement as chairman, that the business is in good shape and has performed in line with our expectations. This represents a strong performance against a background of general stock market volatility and some economic uncertainty, and reflects the long-term nature of the businesses we are concentrating on.
13 May 2003 Mauritius Coastguard take delivery of new RTK Marine boats VT Halmatic have recently delivered 4 RTK Logistic Support Boats to the Mauritius Police for use as heavy duty general purpose workboats by the Coastguard Division.
07 April 2003 New Fire Fighting Training Centre Starts Operations Operations have started at a new £60m. Joint Training Centre for the Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire Fire Brigades under the umbrella of support services company VT Group.
03 April 2003 VT Group named preferred bidder for Surrey School Support Services VT Education, part of the VT Group plc, has been selected as preferred bidder to partner Surrey County Council for the Council's Surrey School Support Service (Four S). Negotiations will take place in the next few weeks and the final decision to proceed is expected to be made by the County Council in June 2003. If agreed, the contract would become effective from September this year. The base value of the joint venture business is expected to be in the region of £100m., spread over a seven-year period.
03 April 2003 Sale of the Woolston Shipyard VT Group plc is pleased to announce that an agreement has been concluded with the South East England Development Agency for the sale to SEEDA of the Woolston Shipyard site in Southampton.
28 March 2003 VT Merlin sign major broadcast contract with FEBA Radio VT Merlin Communications, part of VT Group plc has signed a major contract with religious broadcaster Feba Radio to deliver their programming on its global short wave network, providing extensive coverage of Feba’s key target regions, including the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.
28 March 2003 BAPCO 2003 VT Merlin will be exhibiting at this years BAPCO event on 2-3 April at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London.
26 March 2003 VT Merlin declared preferred bidder on strategic defence communications contract with MOD VT Merlin Communications, part of VT Group plc, has been announced as the preferred bidder for the Defence High Frequency Communications Service (DHFCS) contract. The contract will deliver beyond line of sight high frequency (HF) communication services to the three armed services and other authorised users. The total contract value is £220m.
20 March 2003 VT Ship sales to benefit from latest shipyard technology Leading UK support services and shipbuilding provider VT (Vosper Thornycroft) Group will open Europe’s most advanced naval shipbuilding facility in Spring this year.
20 March 2003 New support agreement extends VTIL network VT Integrated Logistics Division (VTIL) has extended its network of support for navies worldwide by securing a new contract in Portugal.
11 March 2003 VT Controls Ltd / Edisoft S.A Team Wins A newly formed team consisting of Edisoft S.A, VT Controls Ltd (VTC) and EID S.A have been awarded the Information System Integrator contract for the first two, of a possible class of ten, Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Portuguese Navy which are being constructed by ENVC (Estaleiros Navais De Viana Do Castelo S.A) the Portuguese Shipbuilder.
27 February 2003 LV Switchboards for Naval Applications As part of their continuous development programme VT Controls Ltd (VTC), part of the VT Group, are pleased to announce that their range of naval low voltage switchboard modules have successfully undergone shock tests.
13 February 2003 New Marine Services for ABP Southampton Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Southampton and VT Halmatic have further strengthened their longstanding relationship with the signing of a groundbreaking marine services contract.
13 February 2003 Maritime & Coastguard Agency take delivery of new fleet VT Halmatic, one of the world’s leading commercial and military boatbuilders, has recently delivered the first vessels in a new fleet of eight boats to the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA).
13 February 2003 US Coastguard opt for VT Halmatic rescue boat Chatham Bar is one of the most notorious stretches of water in North America, with vicious surf, tricky currents and continually changing shoals it’s not a place for the feint hearted.
31 January 2003 VT Group announces appointment of new Executive Director The Board of VT Group plc is pleased to announce the appointment of David Thorpe as a non-executive Director with immediate effect.
06 January 2003 VT Controls Ltd Gain ISO 9001:2000 Certification VT Controls Ltd (VTC) have achieved Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) ISO 9001:2000 compliance.
06 January 2003 VT Controls Ltd Awarded Bronze for PMS Studies Cost Tool VT Controls Ltd as part of an industry Team with BAE SYSTEMS and Rolls-Royce recently received a BAE SYSTEMS bronze innovation award for the production of a Platform Management System (PMS) cost driver tool.