Babcock International Group has signed a four-year GBP 750 M (EUR 860 M) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) to deliver the infrastructure required to support and sustain the Royal Navy’s submarines for decades to come.
As part of the major infrastructure programme underway at the Devonport site, Babcock will deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure that will support the future capability of the Royal Navy and the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise.
The contract for the delivery of infrastructure to support submarine maintenance includes a dock, logistics and modern support facilities, and underpins the wider role Babcock plays in sustaining the entirety of the UK submarine fleet.
Crucial to the UK submarine programme, the contract forms part of the site-wide infrastructure upgrade programme at Devonport to enable the ongoing delivery of base maintenance periods and deep maintenance projects for current and future classes of submarine, including nuclear defuelling.
The infrastructure construction programme at Devonport is one of the largest of its kind and highlights the MoD investment being made at the site. The programme will see a further 1,000 construction roles created as its construction phase continues to ramp up over the coming year.
“Maintaining the infrastructure that supports our world-leading submarine fleet is crucial,” UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was quoted as saying in a Babcock press release. “Delivering on our government’s priority to grow the UK economy, this significant investment will create and sustain more than a thousand UK jobs in the south-west, providing vital improvements to the dockyard that will be critical to ensuring our Royal Navy can continue to protect the UK and our allies.”
Sir Chris Gardner KBE, CEO of the SDA, was quoted as saying, “Investing in our vital submarine maintenance facilities in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise at Devonport is critical to our national security. I am delighted to have placed the construction contract with Babcock for the delivery of dock and infrastructure for our attack submarine deep maintenance projects later this decade. This will ensure we deliver available and capable submarines for the Royal Navy to operate in defence of our nation.”
David Lockwood, Babcock’s chief executive, said: “The work we deliver in sustaining the entirety of the UK’s submarine fleet is critical. This investment will ensure that we are able to continue to deliver the complex maintenance and life-extension programmes we undertake to ensure our Royal Navy can continue to go to sea safely and is able to deliver [its] important work in protecting our nation.”
The Royal Navy currently operates five of an eventual fleet of seven Astute-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) plus one legacy Trafalgar-class SSN, as well as a fleet of four Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The latter will ultimately be replaced by four Dreadnought-class SSBNs from the early 2030s.
Supporting Babcock on 10 Dock are delivery partners Costain and Mott Macdonald, as well as main works contractor Kier BAM, bringing extensive infrastructure delivery experience to this important programme.
