THE team behind British Aerospace's secret new defence programme - which includes futuristic unmanned aircraft - has won a prestigious award from the Ministry of Defence.

The Future Offensive Aircraft System (FOAS), which was featured in the Citizen several months ago, is in the early stages of development at BAe's Warton and Samlesbury sites.

It has been named as runner-up from a field of several hundred projects in the Chief of Defence Procurement's Annual Award for Team Excellence this month.

It is not yet clear what the structure of the FOAS will be, but it is most likely to be a 'force mix' consisting not just of stealthy manned aircraft, but unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and air-launched cruise missiles, possibly discharged from converted transport aircraft.

The joint MoD/BAe team's 'innovative vigour, responsiveness and excellent working relations' were cited in the award.

Those qualities are said to have contributed to the team's success as a 'pioneer among the pioneers'.

The MoD is seeking to get better value, quicker development and improved products from new ways of working more closely with industry - an initiative called Smart Procurement, for which FOAS is a pilot project.

Over the next 20 years, it is likely that technology advances will allow unmanned vehicles to carry out many of the tasks currently only possible with manned systems.

But it is still uncertain whether pilots will sit in the attacking vehicle, back at base or somewhere else. Project director Martin Blaze said: "The support for FOAS in both the recent Strategic Defence Review and now the Team Excellence award add up to a big vote of confidence in the programme.

"We intend to keep FOAS as a lead project in this MoD drive to get better products, and better value for the taxpayer."

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