INTERNATIONAL aerospace and defence group Cobham is cutting almost 100 jobs at Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL) in Wimborne.

Earlier this year FRL bosses announced a future move to a smaller site next to their existing Brook Road headquarters, although no exact timetable has been fixed.

Company chiefs say the restructuring will help them focus on core “high end” engineering capabilities, that have enabled FRL to become the world’s leading air-to-air refuelling systems supplier.

The job losses represent 17per cent of the workforce at the Wimborne plant.

Cobham director of communications Julian Hellebrand said: “Regrettably, restructuring the business to meet these goals will require us to decrease the permanent headcount by 95 during 2009 – employees are not at risk of redundancy at this point.

“We would like to achieve this reduction by voluntary means as much as possible and will make all reasonable attempts to find suitable alternative employment within FRL and sister companies.”

FRL’s umbrella organisation Cobham had a turnover in excess of £1 billion last year, posting pre-tax 2007 profits of more than £173 million.

Company products are installed on the state-of-the art Eurofighter Typhoon, the jet fighter that wowed crowds at the Bournemouth Air Festival this summer, the Boeing V22 and the Airbus A330 and A400M.

Last Friday (November 26) an application to develop FRL’s existing site was lodged with East Dorset District Council planners. Developer Bellway Homes wants to build 217 flats and 51 houses.

Mr Hellebrand said: “We declared our intent to move to a smaller, less expensive and more appropriate site nearby where we could invest further to create a world class development environment.

“We have successfully secured a record order book of over £350million over the last few years and now need to focus on delivery as well as size the business for a move to better facilities.”

In an interview with the Financial Times Cobham chief executive Allan Cook said there were concerns about reductions in government defence budgets. He added: “Coupled with the problems of the credit crunch, that is putting a lot of fiscal pressure on all budgets.”