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The British Ministry of Defence has awarded Babcock a £65 million (AU$135.05 million) five-ship contract to deliver the capability insertion period for the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates.
Babcock has been awarded a Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) contract to fit, test and upgrade a range of new capabilities across the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates throughout their service lives and will be delivered at the company’s Rosyth facility in Scotland.
The work will extend well beyond the ships’ initial design and build specification, delivering a significant boost to their military effectiveness.
Paul Watson, Arrowhead managing director at Babcock, said the contract would “provide additional military capability for the vessels beyond the initial design and build agreement”.
“Our detailed knowledge of these ships, combined with our forward‑thinking design approach, will enable efficient installation and through‑life support of the systems and equipment.
“As the design and build partner, Babcock is ideally placed to supply the technical know‑how and information needed to deliver these vital activities under the CIP. We’re proud of the role we play alongside our customer – their mission is our mission,” Watson said.
Steven Perry, Type 31 project manager at Defence Equipment & Support, added: “We’re pleased to have awarded Babcock the CIP contract for the Type 31 fleet. These upgrades will go beyond the vessel build specification, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of global security.”
Babcock originally secured the design and build contract for the Type 31 program in November 2019. Since then, the company has supported the Royal Navy’s mission to deter aggression and safeguard the UK’s interests by delivering the next generation of surface warships.
The Type 31 frigates are set to form the backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet, operating alongside allied navies to maintain a persistent UK presence around the globe.
