GKN Aerospace has won a contract from Cobham Mission Equipment worth over £6m to design, develop and manufacture a lightweight air to air refuelling pylon for the wing dispense equipment (WDE) on the A400M military airlifter.

First deliveries of development units for vibration testing will take in February 2012 with production deliveries commencing in early 2013 and continuing through to 2020.

The GKN Aerospace pylon design will be manufactured using a combination of composite and metallic components to achieve specified weight and performance targets that are essential to ensure safe and efficient completion of air to air refuelling.

Jeff Armitage, Vice President and MD Nacelles at GKN Aerospace comments: "This contract represents the successful development of our existing wing structures and fuel delivery systems businesses. It takes us into an important new customer relationship with Cobham - and into a market where our expertise in complex composite, metallic and hybrid wing structures can bring real operational advantage."

GKN Aerospace has already designed, and now supplies, the A400M wing spar – the world's first all-composite wing spar for a large aircraft. This massive structure has been manufactured using a number of state of the art processes including advanced Automated Tape Laying (ATL) techniques. The aircraft's engine inlet and wing trailing edge detail are also supplied by the Company.