The Avro RJ100, along with an Avro RJ70, has been purchased by QinetiQ on behalf of the 25 year Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) under which QinetiQ provides test, evaluation and training services and manages sites such as MoD Boscombe Down.

The RJ100 will be joined during 2014 by an extensively modified Avro RJ70 and is part of an investment programme to replace two 1960s Hawker Siddeley Andover C1, and two BAC 1-11s which were noisy, unrepresentative of modern aircraft and expensive to maintain.

The new aircraft will sustain LTPA capability, but given they were built in 2000 and 1994 respectively, will be quieter, have much reduced maintenance costs; provide operational cost efficiencies and have improved reliability and availability, more representative of current aircraft types.

The modified RJ100 was formally commissioned at a ceremony attended by Dr Dai Morris, Head of Capability for Joint Training, Evaluation and Simulation at the MoD, and Air Commodore Mike Quigley, Head of Engineering, DE&S.

Mike Howarth, QinetiQ Managing Director for Managed Services said,

'The arrival of the RJ100 in the QinetiQ fleet is a step change in capability for the future. It affords us the opportunity to rationalise the heavy aircraft fleet, increases reliability and availability of aircraft, reduces risk and will provide real financial savings in the long term.

'We look forward to welcoming the RJ70 during 2014.'

• A FTSE250 company, QinetiQ uses its domain knowledge to provide technical support and know-how to customers in the global aerospace, defence and security markets. QinetiQ's unique position enables it to be a trusted partner to government organisations, predominantly in the UK and the US, including defence departments, intelligence services and security agencies.