F-35 Lightning II aircraft maintenance and finishing hangar

Balfour Beatty will start work this month on the construction phase, which will employ 300 on site at peak. 

The major expansion project involves building three new facilities: an integrated training centre; logistics operations centre; and maintenance and finishing hangar.

It plans to channel at least £25m of project spend via SMEs and will provide opportunities for 15 apprentices, three graduate trainees and a further three work placements for students.

Planned Integrated Training College for air and ground crews

Balfour Beatty will utilise digital tools including 4D modelling and BIM throughout construction of the 25,000m² of technical accommodation across three individual sites on the base.

Dean Banks, Balfour Beatty Managing Director UK Construction Services, said: “We have developed technically advanced delivery solutions that will help to ensure that RAF Marham’s operational capability is maintained throughout our construction activities on base.”

Balfour Beatty has worked closely with BAE Systems, its customer Lockheed Martin, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Lightning Project Team and RAF Marham over the past six months as a preferred supplier to prepare for the construction project.

This project builds on the existing experience that Balfour Beatty has of delivering highly complex and technically challenging projects for the UK MoD on live operational bases.