ABRO provides repair and overhaul services across a broad spectrum of vehicles and equipment types to a diverse range of customers including the British Forces, Emergency Services, Local Government and Industry.

It is a task that requires a level of diversity and adaptability not easily achieved. However, years of partnership with the British Army have allowed ABRO to develop an excellent level of service and broaden its expertise to support commercial markets.

Operating from a range of strategically located sites ABRO employs a dedicated workforce of over 2,000. Handling an annual turnover of work in excess of £200 million, the repair facilities provide comprehensive support for a wide range of defence equipment, from infantry weapons to armoured fighting vehicles.

Through this work ABRO is at the heart of the maintenance and periodic overhaul of the British Army’s complex equipment inventory. Its core workload is based on annual programmes developed by the army’s individual equipment managers for re-manufacture or in-depth repair of the inventory. In a typical year ABRO repairs and re-manufactures a staggering catalogue of equipment. This includes 36 main battle tanks and derivatives and 330 infantry fighting and reconnaissance vehicles. Additionally, ABRO works on 1,000 trucks including 200 heavy types, 5,000 vehicle assemblies, 13,000 electronic items and 10,000 small arms.

Continuous Development

The ABRO re-manufacturing process is the same for each type of equipment, involving a complete strip-down and the use of the latest technology to diagnose the extent of work needed to restore complete structural and system integrity.

The work is conducted in conformity with the production programme and in line with ISO9000 quality standards. After re-assembly the equipment is subjected to a rigorous test regime in ABRO’s own test facilities. One such facility is ABRO’s highly regarded calibration service which includes the UK’s largest Electro Magnetic Compatibility unit.

A Steering Unit Repair and Test Facility enables ABRO to undertake work previously contracted out. An example of this is the Challenger 1 and Challenger 2 steering units.

High accuracy in-line-boring, using the most advanced machines in a temperature controlled environment is a recent development that has placed ABRO at the forefront in terms of highly technical equipment re-manufacturing. This results in a more effective support of its customers, whilst making ABRO more competitive with other providers of overhaul and repair services.

Responsiveness

The ability to respond to urgent operational requirements is becoming increasingly important and ABRO’s multi-skilled workforce have the capabilities to switch seamlessly from one job to another, as specialised departments within the organisation's repair facilities undertake operationally urgent work.

These standards of flexibility require large areas of the sites to retain a job shop culture, while machine shops are maximised for short production runs to support the repair process.

Long production runs, major programmes for the re-manufacture of heavy armour and SP artillery, IFVs, light armoured vehicles and specialised logistic vehicles provide a launch pad for progressive advances in productivity throughout their lifetime. However, the primary concern is to retain the unique degree of responsiveness that ABRO believes is not available elsewhere.

On-demand Service

ABRO is also able to undertake work on an on-demand basis extending from while-you-wait minor repairs to vehicles, small arms and electronic equipment to major unplanned repairs that cannot be undertaken at the first or second line.

The repair facilities assigned to such support also undertake major re-manufacture programmes on logistic and armoured vehicles and electronic and optical equipment.

The Changing Environment

Still meeting the demand for volume of work and its own high targets for quality, ABRO is continuously working through a process of change. Key to this change is the UK MoD’s determination to bring the benefits of recent advances in industrial and commercial management to the support of ABRO’s extensive and varying tasks. Set key targets by the MoD for quality and industrial efficiency, ABRO’s targets also include financial accountability. All have proved to be a highly effective focus on its achievement of commercial performance standards within all business sectors.

The outcome is apparent in ABRO’s highly competitive performance and broad spectrum of opportunities for partnering with industry on equipment support programmes.

Competing and Partnering

Throughout ABRO there is a strongly held belief that the relationships it has established with equipment managers is a positive outcome of the UK MoD’s initiatives.

ABRO believes that its skills base is more attuned to re-manufacture than those of the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). There is also an acceptance that the competitive nature of contemporary defence procurement - and in particular increased emphasis on Integrated Logistic Support is almost certain to intensify competition for repair and refurbishment work. ABRO stresses the enhanced contribution that it can make to defence procurement is by linking its distinctive skills with those of the OEMs and partnering.

The Way Forward

ABRO is rapidly extending its position as a source for tri-service land systems support. From its head office in Andover, UK, ABRO co-ordinates the activities of the many facilities throughout the country, whilst marketing its capabilities to customers in commercial markets.

Promoting itself internationally, ABRO is fast becoming highly regarded as a source for upgrades, repair and modification. However, this capability is not limited to the support of equipment of British origin and, increasingly its repair facilities are responding to the challenge to effect repairs or service a wider range of items. The flexible nature of the business and the ability to respond to sudden demands that typify ABRO’s support of Britain’s Armed Forces, has won the respect of foreign customers that have sought emergency rectification work.

It is in the major repair facilities that ABRO technicians re-manufacture both heavy and light armoured vehicles, ordnance, heavy electrical equipment, heavy trucks and other vehicles covering virtually the entire spectrum of Army equipment. However, many smaller repair facilities also apply their skills to the support of delicate electronic equipment, infantry weapons and the thousand and one items upon which modern forces rely.

Looking forward, the future appears extremely bright for ABRO. Dynamics of an ever changing market map a road of great opportunity ahead. Capitalising on those opportunities is what drives ABRO into securing its long term future.

Contact us at:
Tel: 01264 383295
Fax: 01264 383144
email: marketing@abro.mod.uk
web address: www.abro.mod.uk

 

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