A NORTH-EAST company has agreed a £500,000 deal to supply parts for some of the world's most advanced combat aircraft.

Express Engineering, based in Gateshead, has secured work on the new F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter programme and is manufacturing complex fuselage components.

Titanium alloys and aluminium are being used to produce the components and the company has invested in IT software to run machinery.

The contract brings further job security to the Team Valley plant, where 120 people are employed - a dozen directly on the F-35 programme. Managing director Nigel Davison said: "We are very pleased to have secured this work in the face of stiff competition."

The F-35 will be the world's most advanced combat aircraft and the first stealthy, supersonic, multi-role fighter. BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have teamed up to deliver three versions of the plane.

"Assuming everything runs according to plan we hope to secure a significant amount of additional work as the programme progresses," said Mr Davison.

"We have certainly developed a team of the highest calibre here."