150 jobs secured at aerospace firm Leonardo

Leonardo in Edinburgh employs around 2,500 people, including engineers, graduates and apprentices.

A £177m deal between the UK, Sweden and Thailand has secured 150 jobs at Leonardo's aerospace business in Edinburgh.

The work comes from a contract for Swedish defence company Saab to provide four Gripen fighter aircraft to the Royal Thai Air Force over the next five years.

The Gripen's radar systems are built at Leonardo's site at Crewe Toll in the capital.

An additional eight aircraft may be ordered in the next decade.

'Prosperity for Scotland'

An additional eight aircraft may be ordered in the next decade.

About 40% of the aircraft parts are being made in the UK, which officials say could result in a supply chain value to UK businesses of up to £530m.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, said: "Working with the Swedish government, Saab and Leonardo, the UK government helped secure this deal with Thailand against stiff competition.

"This is the power of bringing together the UK government's diplomatic security and trade levers to deliver prosperity for Scotland."

Leonardo employs around 2,500 people in Edinburgh.

£7.4bn trade partnership

About 150 of its staff produce the Raven radar, which allows Gripen aircraft to detect and track airborne targets while remaining resistant to radar countermeasures.

Mark Stead, Leonardo's senior vice-president for radar and advanced targeting, said Leonardo's Edinburgh site had been producing world-leading technologies for over 80 years, including advanced fire-control radars for the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen combat aircraft.

"The programme will support highly-skilled engineering jobs at our Edinburgh site and within our supply chain, and will ultimately provide the Royal Thai Air Force with a proven radar capable of performing in the most challenging of situations."

Martin Kent, trade commissioner for Asia Pacific, said: "The Gripen agreement is a landmark moment in our growing bilateral trade partnership with Thailand which stands at £7.4bn."