Refuelling shake-up at Cobham

THE flight refuelling business of aerospace and defence group Cobham is to be reorganised after the departure of its managing director Robin Clark after 22 years with the company.

He will be succeeded in November by 45-year-old Andrew Stevens who is currently managing director, defence aerospace, with Rolls-Royce. Clark, 58, who left last Friday, has a two-year contract with the group.

The shake-up will not lead to further jobs losses. Westwind, which makes high-speed bearings for equipment such as photocopiers, is currently part of the flight refuelling division but will be left out of the reorganisation.

Today chief executive Allan Cook effectively put it up for sale by saying it was not part of the group's core capability.

Cook believes the shake-up will give Cobham the edge in vying for a US 'intelligent bomb' order due at the end of this year. It is also in the running for flight refuelling equipment for the C130J flying tanker to be used by the US Marines.