In 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill coined the term “special relationship” to refer to the enduring Anglo-American bond defined by friendship, mutual understanding, and military cooperation.
This special relationship is woven through Marshall’s own history - originating in 1939 with the company’s purchase of its first American aircraft, and flourishing through decades of delivering for American partners.
As we approach the start of operations at our new facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, this page provides a overview of Marshall’s ever-evolving American story, charting the course of eras and highlighting key milestones.
The outbreak of war threw the world into chaos - but also brought the U.S. and the U.K. closer than ever. As the Allies geared up their response, American personnel, equipment and armaments came to Britain in unprecedented numbers.
During the war, Marshall’s own engineers modified and repaired over 5,000 aircraft in total in support of the nationwide Civil Repair Organisation - including several legendary American-built platforms such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, the Douglas DC-3 Dakota (pictured), and the North American Harvard (better known in the U.S. as the T-6 Texan).
In 1943, Marshall handed over one of its training airfields outside Cambridge for use as a U.S. fighter training base, resulting in a close relationship between our flying instructors and American airmen that would continue to endure into peacetime.
As the world emerged from the shadow of war, aviation engineering work at Marshall generated new business - including upgrades, structural modifications and conversions.
During this period, Marshall won its first contracts with the largest American aircraft makers, including Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop.
Many of these contracts involved the introduction of brand-new technologies - including designing and installing torpedo adaptors or integrating systems to enable a low-altitude bombing system developed in the U.S.
Marshall’s crowning achievement of this era was being appointed the UK’s designated technical centre for the Royal Air Force’s 65-strong fleet of Lockheed C-130K Hercules.
To this day, we continue to set the industry standard for accurate scheduling and management of C-130 maintenance inputs, delivering high-quality, low-risk depth maintenance with dependable turnaround times.
1955 Lockheed Neptune
Lockheed instructed Marshall to design and install a torpedo adaptor on a Neptune aircraft.
1956 English Electric Canberra
Conducted modification work on English Electric Canberra aircraft in order to introduce and test the American low altitude bombing system (LABS).
1959 Lockheed Constellation
Conducted servicing, avionics and radio upgrades for Constellation and Super Constellation aircraft.
1960 Grumman Gulfstream
Designated the only authorised Gulfstream Service Centre outside the U.S.
1963 Boeing 707
Wing pod installation carried out for carriage of spare engine on a Boeing 707.
1966 Lockheed C-130
Appointed the UK’s designated technical centre for the Royal Air Force’s C-130K Hercules fleet.
Building on a string of initial successes with customers such as Boeing and Lockheed, Marshall increasingly became known for its aircraft design and manufacturing capabilities, becoming a trusted sub-contractor to the biggest American aircraft manufacturing companies.
In 1966, Lockheed tasked Marshall with designing and manufacturing a full-scale mock-up wing for the C-5A Galaxy strategic transport—complete with mechanically operated mainplane, leading edge, trailing edge and control surfaces.
Meanwhile, as the boom in international travel continued, Marshall picked up major modification contracts on American passenger aircraft such as the Douglas DC-7 and the world’s first “jumbo jet”—the Boeing 747.
It was during this period that the company designed, developed and manufactured the famous "droop nose" and retracting visor for the Concorde supersonic jetliner – a true transatlantic icon. Marshall was the only U.K. company with delegated design authority from the BAC Group on the Concorde airframe.
Marshall continued to pick up further major and minor servicing work for the Royal Air Force’s C-130 fleet, and in 1975 the company was appointed an authorised Hercules Service Centre by Lockheed.
1966 Lockheed C-5A Galaxy
Contracted by Lockheed to design and manufacture a full-scale mock-up wing for the C-5A Galaxy strategic transport.
1966 Douglas DC-7
Interior furnishing modifications carried out on the Douglas DC-7 for Trans Meridian Airlines.
1967 SUD Aviation/BAC Concorde
Designed and built the droop nose and retracting visor for Concorde.
1971 Boeing 747
Designed and manufactured upper deck executive furnishings for 747 jetliners.
1975 Lockheed C-130
Appointed by Lockheed as an authorised C-130 Hercules Service Centre.
As jet-powered aircraft truly entered the mainstream, many civil and military customers around the world sought to build out their fleets with the latest technologies and capabilities, capable of long-distance travel.
Much of Marshall’s work in this era involved customising, converting and upgrading fleets of American-built jetliners, including the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and its stretched sibling, the MD-11.
In the early 1980s Marshall was tasked by the Royal Air Force (RAF) with converting a number of American-made Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airliners into extended-range multi-role aircraft capable of air-to-air refuelling and transporting cargo, troops and baggage. The company also delivered a major modification and overhaul programme for over 130 Boeing 747 aircraft operated by British Airways.
In the early 1990s, Marshall assisted Lockheed with development and testing of the next-generation C-130J Super Hercules, modifying a loaned C-130K to accommodate the model’s new turboprop engine and six-bladed propeller system. Nearly 400 sensors were fitted to the aircraft, and Marshall completed a full flight test programme.
This extensive engineering project further solidified the relationship with Lockheed and paved the way for the production of a new generation of Hercules aircraft.
1983 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
£50m contract awarded to convert six Lockheed TriStar L-1011 aircraft to tankers and freighters for the Royal Air Force; Marshall appointed U.K. technical centre for these aircraft.
1987 Boeing 747
Contract awarded for general servicing of 747 jetliners between 1987 and 1989.
1988 McDonnell Douglas DC-10
Design of increased all-up weight modifications on a McDonnell Douglas DC-10.
1990 Boeing 727
Structural inspection, corrosion control programme, major service and partial repaint under the Ageing Aircraft Programme.
1990 McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Major multi-million pound contract from McDonnell Douglas to customise five MD-11 airliners for American Airlines.
1991 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Delivery of six special fuel tanks to extend the range of Delta Airlines L-1011 TriStar aircraft.
1993 Lockheed P-3 Orion
Contracted by Lockheed to produce and deliver tailcones for the P3 Orion.
1993 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Conversion of a L-1011 Tristar for Orbital Sciences Corporation to carry and launch the Pegasus Rocket satellite launching system under contract from NASA.
1994 Lockheed C-130
Carried out modifications on a Royal Air Force C-130K as a test bed for the upcoming C-130J Super Hercules; part of a joint venture with Lockheed, Allison, Dowty and Westland.
1994 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Contract awarded by American International Airways for the conversion of up to eight ex-British Airways L-1011 TriStar passenger aircraft to freighters.
1996 McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Designed and built MD-11ER auxiliary fuel tanks.
1996 Boeing E-3 AWACS Sentry
Appointed sister design authority for Boeing E-3D AWACS Sentry aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force.
1998 Boeing 747
Major modification programme for over 130 British Airways Boeing 747 aircraft.
1999 McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Undertook an interior modification programme on the MD-11 for Delta Airlines.
The new millennium brought new opportunities for Marshall - particularly with two of the largest American aerospace and defence companies: Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Arguably the most significant milestone during this period was the delivery of Lockheed Martin’s brand-new C-130J Super Hercules fleet to the Royal Air Force between 2000 and 2001. Marshall supported the transition to the new model, as well as handling maintenance and engineering for all 25 aircraft.
Marshall was also tasked with major engineering projects on the C-130 platform, including the production of Aerial Refuelling Probe Installation (ARPIS) modification kits for Lockheed Martin; the company also gained the world’s first authorisation to replace C-130 centre wing boxes.
Our relationship with Boeing expanded into designing and producing auxiliary fuel tanks: in addition to supplying tanks for long-range variants of the 747, 767 and 777 jetliners, Marshall picked up one of the longest-running and most successful contracts in its history in support of the P-8 Poseidon platform.
We continue to produce tanks for the P-8, end customers for which include the U.K., U.S., Australia, India, New Zealand and Norway. With over 1,100 tanks produced to date, we have achieved an uninterrupted 100% on-time delivery record and 100% quality performance for over a decade.
2000 Boeing 747
Contract to design and manufacture auxiliary fuel tanks for the Longer Range 747-400ER.
2000 Lockheed Martin C-130
Marshall hands over the first of 25 C-130J aircraft to the Royal Air Force after preparation for entry into service.
2001 Lockheed Martin
Marshall receives a contract to produce 37 high-spec screened deployable container systems for Lockheed Martin in partnership with Michigan-based AAR Cadillac Manufacturing.
2002 Boeing 777
Major modifications for Alitalia to install crew rest facilities on six new aircraft prior to delivery
2002 Lockheed Martin L-1011 TriStar
Major overhaul contract awarded to provide an all-component repair and overhaul support service for the Royal Air Force’s fleet of nine TriStar aircraft for up to 10 years.
2004 Lockheed Martin L-1011 TriStar
Appointed prime contractor by the U.K. Ministry of Defence to fit a new defensive countermeasures system to the TriStar C Mk 23 aircraft.
2004 Boeing 767
Designed auxiliary fuel tank for the Boeing KC-767 tanker for the United States.
2004 Boeing C-17 Globemaster
Contract with Boeing to provide support for the Royal Air Force’s fleet of four C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
2005 Boeing P-8 Poseidon
Initial contract awarded by Boeing to design and produce auxiliary fuselage fuel tanks for the P-8 Poseidon.
2006 Lockheed L1011 TriStar
Signed a £22M contract to provide avionics replacement and new flight management systems in the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Lockheed TriStar aircraft.
2006 Boeing 777
Designed and manufactured lightweight fuel tanks fitted to a Boeing 777-200LR, enabling it to fly eastwards from Hong Kong to London; the longest flight ever made by a commercial aeroplane.
2008 Lockheed L1011 TriStar
Awarded the £97M TriStar Operational Support Contract (TRIOS) from the U.K. Ministry of Defence to sustain the Royal Air Force’s TriStar fleet until 2015.
2009 Boeing 747
Selected by Lufthansa to carry out interior configuration work on seven of their 747-400 aircraft.
2009 Lockheed Martin C-130
Awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin for the production of Aerial Refuelling Probe Installation (ARPIS) modification kits.
2012 Lockheed Martin C-130
Signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin in July to become the world’s first commercial company to install C-130 Centre Wing Boxes, extending the service life of many C-130 aircraft around the world.
2012 Boeing P-8 Poseidon
Delivery of 100th P-8 auxiliary fuel tank to Boeing.
2013 United States FAA
US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awards Marshall its first Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), giving regulatory approval for a major modification on Airbus A340 aircraft.
2017 Boeing P-8 Poseidon
Delivery of 500th auxiliary fuel tank; Boeing Performance Excellence Award.
The last few years have opened a new chapter for Marshall, as the company has picked up several contracts directly with the U.S. military.
In 2019, Marshall was awarded a contract supporting the entry into service of the new Fat Albert C-130 support aircraft fielded by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels air display team. Directly following this, Marshall won a multi-year foreign military sales contract (facilitated by the U.S. government) to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for Kuwait’s KC-130J fleet.
In 2020, Marshall received a transformative ten-year contract to provide support for the fleet of 66 KC-130J aircraft operated by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) outside the continental U.S.
Since then, Marshall and the USMC have developed an exemplary working relationship defined by quality, efficiency and reliability—resulting in a documented improvement in the operational readiness, availability, and capability of the KC-130J fleet.
In 2023, Marshall announced plans to establish a new aircraft maintenance and engineering facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport, which sits in the heart of the well-established aerospace ecosystem centred on Greensboro, North Carolina.
Marshall broke ground on the new facility in September 2023, holding a ceremony attended by state and municipal government officials, senior military leadership, industry partners, and representatives from local businesses and educational institutions.
Construction of the purpose-built site at Piedmont Triad International Airport is progressing on schedule, with fit, recruitment and knowledge transfer set to commence ahead of start of operations in mid-2025.
2019 U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
Awarded the contract to support the entry into service of the replacement for Fat Albert, the US Navy’s Blue Angels air display team’s C-130 support aircraft.
2019 U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
Multi-year contract to support the Kuwait Air Force fleet of KC-130J aircraft, including maintenance, interval inspections, repainting and specific overhaul tasks.
2020 U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
Awarded a ten-year multi-million dollar contract to provide depot-level maintenance for the U.S. Marine Corps’ fleet of KC-130J tanker aircraft deployed worldwide.
2022 Boeing P-8 Poseidon
Delivery of 1,000th auxiliary fuel tank; awarded Boeing Blue Supplier status.
2023 Greensboro announcement
Announced plans to establish a new C-130 maintenance and engineering facility in April; broke ground on the new facility in Greensboro, NC, in September.
2025 Greensboro start of operations
Expected start of operations at Marshall’s new facility in Greensboro, NC.
