GKN Aerospace has just shipped the 750th spares assembly for the Tornado fighter from its plant in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The company was awarded a maintenance contract by BAE Systems in 2006 as part of the ATTAC (availability transformation: Tornado aircraft) agreement. Under the contract, which runs until at least 2016, GKN Aerospace is responsible for a range of Tornado aircraft structures, including ammunition boxes and rudders.

Tornado work has increased significantly in recent years due to operational commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and GKN Aerospace has increased its output by 25 percent to meet the extra demand. As well as Tornado work, the Cowes facility overhauls structures for a wide variety of aircraft types, including the Airbus A380.