BMT Reliability Consultants Awarded Major Contract to Assist Swedish Forces' Planning For Overseas Deployments

BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, has been awarded the second phase of a three-year contract to assist the Swedish Ministry of Defence (FMV) and Swedish Forces in transforming the processes and practices of logistics planning to support the country's involvement in ‘Out of Area' military operations.

The award of this contract to BMT Reliability Consultants recognises the company's specialist expertise in logistics planning and management and will draw on its experience gained in the deployment and support of UK troops overseas. BMT Reliability Consultants will deliver a solution in partnership with Imminent Training Technologies AB, a company with expertise in current Swedish military processes and culture.

The expansion of Sweden's military operations beyond maintaining territorial integrity and providing assistance in time of internal crisis has necessitated the study. A wider remit will include Separation of Parties by Force, Conflict Prevention, Evacuation Operations and Assistance to Humanitarian Operations, due to Sweden taking the lead responsibility as the Framework Nation for the Nordic Battle Group (NBG). The NBG, which also includes contributions from Norway, Finland and Estonia, will be available from January 2008 for deployment by the EU to support European interests over a 6,000km radius from Brussels. Sweden has committed to similar responsibilities in 2011.

The new contract follows successful completion of a first phase by BMT Reliability Consultants. The first phase was the foundation of the study and collected knowledge of current and future requirements, and developed synergy mappings between these and current UK Ministry of Defence processes, which will form the basis of the solution. The resulting identification, testing and documentation of a conceptual solution was presented to a wide stakeholder community within FMV and the Swedish Forces.

Subsequent phases of the study will develop further the conceptual solution into both a short-term interim solution to support NBG deployment in 2008 and a long-term enduring solution for future deployments beyond this date. The complete study is planned to run for approximately three years and involve a team of six staff.

Andrew Cooper, Managing Director, BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd, said: "Building on a successful first phase of the study, we look forward to working in partnership with Imminent Training Technologies to provide FMV and the Swedish Forces with valuable advice on the support of troops deployed away from their traditional national confines. With wide-ranging and acknowledged expertise in this field, BMT Reliability Consultants is well placed to provide innovative and effective solutions."