Defence Aviation Repair Agency The Defence Aviation Repair Agency , better known as DARA , was an executive agency of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence , responsible for the maintenance and repair of Royal Air Force , Army and the Royal Navy ' s aircraft . It became part of the Defence Support Group from 1 April 2008 . DARA , which had four sites across the UK , was the biggest government - owned aerospace repair facility in Europe . Since a distinct U - turn in MOD policy from centralised repair expertise to diversified line repair , DARA ' s operations were either scheduled to be closed or under review , with an intended strategy to privatise the various remaining divisions . Background . Launched on 1 April 1999 , post the Government ' s Strategic Defence Review , DARA brought together the RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency ( MGDA ) and the Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation ( NARO ) . DARA offered the capability to completely strip , replace , repair and rebuild aircraft from systems , components and equipment to whole aircraft , for both military and commercial organisations . DARA was established as a Trading Fund on 1 April 2001 . Operations . DARA had centres of excellence across Fixed Wing , Rotary and Engines , Electronics and Components . Its Chief Executive was Archie Hughes : History . From the outset , DARA seemed beset by a series of ongoing battles between Ministers , the MOD , the RAF and regional interests , especially the Welsh around RAF St Athan . DARA was formed around a strategy of integrating RAF , Navy , MOD and private expertise to increase efficiencies of aircraft maintenance and repair to the RAF and Navy , and hence reducing costs . The plan was built around a key base to form a centre of excellence , chosen as the existing RAF Maintenance base at St Athan , to create " factory " levels of expertise . RAF St Athan at DARA ' s peak employed 2 , 500 people , over two thirds of DARA ' s 3 , 500 employees . In December 2000 , then Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy and Armed Forces Minister John Spellar met to discuss the future of RAF St Athan , following concerns expressed by John Smith , MP for the Vale of Glamorgan . They announced the base ' s future was " secure " . Project Red Dragon . In March 2002 , John Smith again asked for further assurances on progress around Project Red Dragon , a proposed plan to co - develop RAF St Athan as an aerospace centre of excellence as a public / private partnership . The government partners included the MOD , DARA and the Welsh Development Agency , who would work in partnership to develop the base . In March 2003 DARA and Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram confirmed that DARA and the MOD would go ahead with the hi - tech maintenance centre - securing 3 , 300 Welsh jobs . Additional jobs would be created by allowing access to the super - hangar by commercial aviation partners , which National Assembly for Wales First Minister Rhodri Morgan said could potentially create a further 4 , 000 jobs . Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said it was " superb news " . Project Red Dragon would replace RAF St Athan ' s existing repair centre - spread out across a site - and create a new , state - of - the - art facility . Red Dragon had two unique features which set it apart from other military aviation maintenance contracts : Contract loss and review . In October 2003 , the Transport and General Workers ' Union Deputy General Secretary Jack Dromey said the government was considering abandoning Project Red Dragon . Dromey said it would be " outrageous " for the MOD to back away from the scheme now it had been given the government ' s blessing : " " That would be absolutely wrong - not in the best interests of the Royal Air Force , not in the best interests of a loyal workforce . " " In March 2004 , DARA lost out on a £150 million contract to upgrade the GR7 Harrier to GR9 specification , to upgrade the plane and allow additional life cycle until replacement by the F - 35 " Lightning " Joint Strike Fighter . The MOD concluded that the bid by the RAF based out of RAF Cottesmore made more sense from both an operational and cost view point . In March 2004 DARA announced the loss of 550 jobs at RAF St Athan . 360 posts went as part of streamlining to make DARA more efficient and better able to compete with the private sector for lucrative aircraft repair contracts . The second and more controversial reason is that DARA lost out to the RAF for a contract , worth £150m , to upgrade the airforce ' s fleet of ageing Harrier jump jets . Privatisation . In December 2004 , the MOD decided that DARA ' s Fast Jets and Engines businesses would be closed by April 2007 , whilst the Rotary , Components and Large Aircraft businesses were offered for potential sale to see whether this would result in better value for money for UK defence and improved prospects for employees . Effectively , this was the announcement of a U - turn in strategy by the MOD to centralise aircraft maintenance , and the break - up of DARA by privatisation of its various divisions . On 14 April 2005 the new Project Red Dragon super - hangar opened . Jim Cooper , General Secretary of Prospect , the union representing specialist civilian staff in the MOD , called for plans to privatise DARA to be scrapped . Cooper said Dara was in a perilous position , as it was in danger of losing the facilities which were designed to make it a world - class aviation centre . A spokesman for the MOD said that work on the Tornado F3 would remain at St Athan for the jet ' s life - span , but that the situation after that was not yet known : " " Unless additional work can be found , it is unlikely we can maintain a viable business at St Athan beyond 2008 / 9 . " " On 10 October 2006 the RAF showcased the first production GR9 Harrier at RAF Cottesmore . Defence Procurement Minister Adam Ingram said the jet will eventually be phased out by 2015 when the new F - 35 " Lightning " Joint Strike Fighter arrives in the next decade . The Fast Jet and Engines businesses closed in March 2007 . On 22 May 2007 it was announced by the Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support , Lord Drayson , that DARA would be merged with ABRO , the Army Base Repair Organisation . It was also stated that the VC10 maintenance unit at RAF St . Athan would not now be privatised . The new Defence Support Group was established from 1 April 2008 .