During the Aerospace Growth Partnership announcement at Farnborough International Airshow Thursday, the Deputy Prime Minister was assisted by Cobham's Telemax robot, that helped ensure he stayed hydrated amid the sweltering heat of the airshow's exhibition halls.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who also recently visited Cobham at its headquarters in Wimborne, was at Farnborough International Airshow to announce an investment of £154 million in aerospace research projects. Cobham has received funding from the UK Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) as part of a Thales led effort to develop smaller, lighter, more flexible and capable future communications systems for civil aircraft.

The £6.4 million AGP award will fund the HARNet (Harmonised Antennas, Radios and Networks) strategic research programme to develop the radio techniques and technologies required for an Integrated Modular Communications (IMC) system for civil aircraft using software defined radio technology.

If successful and adopted by civil aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), IMC would mean less equipment to be installed in new aircraft, freeing up critical space, reducing weight and using less fuel. For the airlines, reduced weight means reduced costs, higher reliability and safety. Greater fuel efficiency could mean future airliners would increase passenger capability, improve operational efficiency and reduce both noise and CO_² emissions.

As part of this project, three Cobham businesses located in England will participate with support from the University of Southampton and Queen Mary University of London.  The Cobham contribution will take forward advanced antennas and high data bandwidth MESH radios.

Pete Raby, Cobham Communications and Connectivity sector president who is responsible for all three Cobham businesses said: "Cobham is very pleased and excited to participate in this project. Our antennas and radios are already very advanced in terms of their small size, weight and superior capability, but this project will allow us to investigate advanced concepts and possibly find additional savings that could lead to further improvements in future civil aircraft."

About Cobham

Cobham protects lives and livelihoods with its differentiated technology and know-how, operating with a deep insight to customer needs, and agility. The Group offers an innovative range of technologies and services to solve challenging problems in harsh environments across commercial, defence and security markets, from deep space to the depths of the ocean. It has market-leading positions in air-to-air refuelling; aviation services; audio, video and data communications, including satellite communications; defence electronics; life support and mission equipment. The most important thing Cobham builds is trust.

About Aerospace Growth Partnership

The Aerospace Growth Partnership, also known as The AGP, is a strategic partnership between government and industry which has been established to secure the future of the UK aerospace industry for the next 20 years and beyond. The AGP has not only led to a step change in the relationship between Government and industry, it has also encouraged UK companies to co-operate more closely in addressing problems that affect the sector as a whole. The AGP was established in 2010 as a vehicle to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow the number of high value jobs in the UK. To do this the AGP is identifying the market failures that form barriers to growth and is developing initiatives to address these specific challenges. For more information please visit www.theagp.aero.