User:Rickyambury/FAUN TRACKWAY

FAUN TRACKWAY
FAUN TRACKWAY is the defence engineering division of FAUN Municipal Vehicles Limited and is based in Llangefni, on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales. FAUN UK has manufactured aluminium military products since the first half of the 20th Century and is best known for its Medium Girder Bridge, Motor Torpedo Boat and Air Portable Bridge.

History
FAUN TRACKWAY is a part of FAUN UK, a division of the Kirchhoff Group. FAUN UK is the successor of Laird (Anglesey) Ltd which was established in 1890 and has been producing military grade aluminium products in North Wales for over 60 years.

Laird (Anglesey) Ltd was created through the fusion of the Beaumaris and Llangefni factories of Saunders-Roe (SARO) and Cammell Laird which built ships in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Despite having its origins in boatbuilding SARO quickly became associated with aircraft manufacturing following its work with the Gloster Aircraft Company during the Second World War. During the same period, the firm opened a new factory at Fryars in Llanfaes, Anglesey, designing and building Catalina flying boats for use on the nearby Fryars Bay. SARO then began creating other military equipment as well as vehicles for civilian use. SARO and Laird gained work manufacturing a wide range of equipment for marine and military use and also supplied masts for the 1951 Festival of Britain.

FAUN TRACKWAY is currently used by over 40 different armed forces worldwide and it is a prime contractor to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and is a leading manufacturer of municipal waste collection vehicles, supplying 29 local authorities across the UK.

The FAUN group has Europe-wide manufacturing expertise, with offices in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium.

Following floods in Cumbria, England, in November 2009, FAUN MLC 70 TRACKWAY was employed by the British Army's Royal Engineers to enable rescue vehicles to reach land which had been cut off due to the flash flooding.

The company was shortlisted for a Manufacturers' Association EEF Award in December 2009. The awards were created in the same year to champion the most innovative companies in the British manufacturing industry.

Roadways
Heavy Ground Mobility System (HGMS) is portable aluminium trackway 50m of which can be laid in less than ten minutes and is rated to 70 MLC (Military Load Classification). There are four elements to the HGMS product:

1) Trackway – The panels which form the temporary track 2) Trackrack – The system which lays and dismantles the temporary track 3) Chassis – Flexibility in choice 4) Spoolrack – The additional lengths of trackway which are carried by the FAUN vehicle

In December 2009 a member of the Nordic battle group purchased four Heavy Ground Mobility System units from FAUN.

Medium Ground Mobility System (MGMS) is portable aluminium trackway 32m of which can be laid in less than six minutes and is rated to 30 MLC (Military Load Classification) There are four elements to the MGMS product:

1) Trackway – The panels which form the temporary track 2) Fastrack – The system which lays and dismantles the temporary track 3) Chassis – Flexibility in choice 4) Spoolrack – The additional lengths of trackway which are carried by the FAUN vehicle

In March 2009 FAUN agreed to supply £16 million of its roadway equipment to the Turkish military. The order was completed in September 2010 and is the largest of its kind to date.

In April 2010 FAUN were appointed by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide a unique side fairing accessory for the MoD's fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons, an aircraft which was first adopted in 2003. The British MoD also use FAUN's Rapid Runway Repair (RRR) matting that was first developed in 1971.

Runways
Rapid Runway Repair (RRR) is a series of bomb damage repair mats which enable aircraft to maintain activity in areas which have come under fire. The product was developed by FAUN in 1971 following a request from a military company in Christchurch, the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment.

There are three elements to the RRR product:

1) Mat and trailer 2) Screed beam and trailer 3) Accessories

Aircraft Landing Mat
Aircraft Landing Mat (ALM) is a temporary landing mat which may be constructed in less than 24 hours and was originally developed for RAF use and is also available in a NATO palletised version for particularly quick construction.

Helicopter Landing Mat (HLM) is a temporary helipad which is made from aluminium and is extremely versatile. One of the advantages on the HLM is that it can be constructed by both civilians and the military, despite it being originally designed for the RAF. The HLM is heat resistant and comes in a variety of sizes. As with the ALM, the HLM is also available in a NATO palletised version.