In these days of heightened sensitivities in the Ministry of Defence, a mischievous sort might suggest that the hapless civil servants in Whitehall take a look at yesterday’s £610 million sale of an industrial component manufacturer by Rolls-Royce on the grounds of national security.
Rolls has disposed of a diesel engine fuel injection system business called L’Orange to Woodward, a US company. The technology innovation of L’Orange, based in Germany, is on the engines that Rolls makes under the MTU and Bergen brands for the railway, off-highway automotive and shipping industries. But perhaps crucially for Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, L’Orange’s kit will be part of the MTU engines made by Rolls that will be on the nation’s new Type 26 frigates.
Taking the recent