• Naval Warfare

  Euronaval 2026: ‘I want to sell 31 Type 31s by 2031’ - CGO maps Babcock’s global push

  5th November 2026

  Chief growth officer Sir Nick Hine tells Shephard how Babcock is lining up New Zealand, Chile, Denmark and the US for its Arrowhead 140 frigate, speaks on the hybrid navy offer and talks AUKUS.

• Land Warfare

  New teams form to compete for British Army Land Rover replacement

  23rd July 2026

  The UK’s Land Mobility Programme Light Mobility Vehicle requirement is designed to replace the British Army’s ageing fleet of Land Rovers with a vehicle with a Gross Vehicular Mass of less than 3,500kg. It could be for as many as 6,000 vehicles.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock onshores 85% of Canada’s submarine supply chain as it eyes future CPSP programme

  30th July 2026

  By moving most of the Royal Canadian Navy’s submarine supply chain into Canada, Babcock Canada is driving to strengthen sovereign sustainment capabilities while preparing to compete to maintain the future Canadian Patrol Submarine Project.

• Naval Warfare

  From Poland to the Pacific: can Miecznik become a blueprint for other navies?

  20th October 2026

  Babcock is taking its Polish industrial partnership approach to Denmark and New Zealand as navies seek sovereign shipbuilding skills alongside ships.

• Land Warfare

  Companies downselected for British Army vehicle programme

  1st October 2026

  It is believed that three companies did not make the downselect but a dark horse in Spain’s Iturri is believed to have got through.

• Naval Warfare

  Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand

  10th August 2026

  Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.

• Naval Warfare

  UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition

  24th June 2026

  The UK shipbuilder’s full-year results to the end of March revealed the impact of the £140 million charge linked to design changes and rework on the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme.

• Naval Warfare

  Industry agreements point to growing interest in Danish hybrid fleet concept

  26th August 2026

  Babcock’s new Danish industry agreements have reignited debate over whether Copenhagen is edging towards a hybrid fleet blending crewed frigates with autonomous systems.

• Naval Warfare

  Denmark’s air defence frigate requirement draws growing European competition

  2nd October 2026

  With no formal competition under way, industrial partnerships, production capacity and air defence capability could all shape the programme as Denmark considers how to replace its three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.

• Land Warfare

  British Army Land Rover replacement plan inches forward

  7th August 2026

  The UK Ministry of Defence has proposed a selection date of May 2027 for the Land Rover replacement requirement, with deliveries expected through to 2036. Next month’s DVD exhibition will be a key shop window for bidders.

• Land Warfare

  UK hits pause on deployable mortar system procurement as US begins search

  24th July 2026

  The US Army's market survey into available 81mm and 120mm mobile mortar systems was launched only a few days after the UK suspended Project Stokes, an almost identical plan, “pending future decisions on prioritisation, resourcing and funding”.

• Land Warfare

  More bidders move onto starting grid for British Army Land Rover replacement programme

  9th September 2026

  The Light Mobility Vehicle segment of the UK’s Land Mobility Programme for the British Army may actually be about to make progress, or at least likely bidders seem to think so. Shephard spoke with several contenders who revealed their views on how the army should replace the ageing fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy’s MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies

  2nd July 2026

  The programme’s structure as a marketplace will allow multiple companies to compete for ongoing procurements; an approach which could be replicated across the Atlantic.

• Naval Warfare

  Stockholm prepares to choose between three European frigate proposals

  29th April 2026

  Sweden’s Luleå frigate programme is gathering momentum, with a Saab and Babcock joint proposal and Navantia and Naval Group each presenting distinct propositions for a quartet of warships.

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory 2026: new and improved vehicles and counter-drone technology foreshadowed

  8th June 2026

  Eurosatory is the world’s largest defence show with more than 2,000 exhibitors listed and more than 43,000 visitors expected, as the show expands to a floorspace of 185,000m². Uncrewed systems and effectors to defeat them, as well as 4x4 vehicles, are all set to be focal points at the event.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC) [Ukraine]

  Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been in ...

• Trainer

  PC-7 MKX [France]

  Development Babcock is set to supply the French Air and Space Force with 22 PC-7 MKX aircraft and 12 training stimulators for a total programme ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  SW4 Puszczyk Replacement [Poland]

  Background  Requirement In 2002, Poland order 47 SW4 training helicopters from Italian manufacturer Leonardo; as of Spring 2025, the Ministry of Defence is looking to ...

• Frigates

  Inspiration Class (Type 31) (1-5) [UK]

  Background The Inspiration-class (Type 31) frigate programme for the UK Royal Navy (RN) emerged during the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 when the MoD ...

• Self-propelled mortars

  Project Stokes [UK]

  Background The British Army does not currently operate any self-propelled mortars. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that static fire support platforms are increasingly vulnerable ...

• Patrol boats

  Second-hand patrol boats (Ireland)

  Background The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced on 14 March that it was selling two decommissioned 340t Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) to Ireland. As part ...

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 140 Frigate Acquisition (3-4) [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Timeline The design options initially shortlisted for the first two frigates were an improved variant of the SIGMA 10514 design from Damen, the 30FFM ...

• Frigates

  Common Combat Vessels [UK]

  Background Requirements Despite replacing the Type 45, the CCV will be smaller than a destroyer, which the UK hopes will allow it to save money ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Project Land 2097 Phase 4 [Australia]

  Programme Background According to the RfI, under Project Land 2097 Phase 4, the selected helicopter must comprise a commercial or military off-the-shelf solution that is ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program [Canada]

  Background The FAcT requires to graduate 120 pilots, 40 combat systems officers and 36 airborne electronic sensor operators per year with 15% fluctuation. Training services are ...

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 140 Frigate Acquisition (1-2) [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Requirements Indonesia’s policy of Minimum Essential Force (MEF) seeks to create an armed force capable of defending the nation. The navy has thus ...

• Aircraft carriers

  Queen Elizabeth Class

  The contract to begin the construction of the first ship was awarded in 2008, ten years after the programme was announced in the 1998 SDR. ...

• Frigates

  Luleå Class (1-4) [Sweden]

  Background Requirements The Swedish Navy currently operates a total of five Visby-class corvettes and two older Gävle-class corvettes, which first entered service in the late 1980s. According ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Project ORKA [Poland]

  Background Requirements The Orka-class submarine programme for the Polish Navy is intended to provide three new replacements for the remaining Kobben-class and Kilo-class SSKs. Poland ...

• Frigates

  Air Defence Frigates Procurement [Denmark]

  Background Requirements After focusing on the procurement of new highly capable patrol ships and new Arctic frigates as a replacement for the Thetis-class, Shephard had initially estimated ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 120

  The Arrowhead 120 (AH120) is a frigate design from Babcock, which was initially developed for the requirements of the Royal Navy and its Type 31 frigate ...

• Frigates

  Inspiration Class (Type 31)

  The Inspiration-class (Type 31) is a general-purpose frigate being procured by the UK RN to replace its Type 23 Duke-class frigates. The new frigates will ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  General Logistics Vehicle

  The General Logistics Vehicle (GLV) is a light utility vehicle manufactured by Babcock International. Unveiled at DSEI 2023, it is a militarised version of the Toyota Land Cruiser ...

• Trainer

  TB 30 Epsilon

  The Socata TB 30 Epsilon is a light truboprop trainer aircraft. The first aircraft flew in 1979 and entered service in 1983. It is in ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Trainer

  PC-21

  Pilatus began the development of the PC-21 single-turboprop low-wing swept monoplane advanced trainer in 1999. The PC-21 can also be operated in the light attack ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Frigates

  Miecznik frigates (Arrowhead 140)

  The Miecznik frigates are based on the Babcock Arrowhead 140 design, already selected by the Royal Navy and the Indonesian Navy. Three ships have been ordered ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A330 Voyager MRTT Training Services

  Through AirTanker Services, a JV between Thales, Airbus Group, Cobham, Rolls-Royce and Babcock, Thales provides and maintains training services for the RAF’s Future Strategic Tanker ...

• Static/towed guns

  Centurion LPWS

  Raytheon developed the Centurion Land-based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) in 2004-05 to provide a C-RAM system to protect US bases in Iraq. The heart of ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SK4110

  Rohde&Schwarz; SK4110 is a high-power HF transmitter that provides beyond-line-of-sight communications with a high data rate. Notably, it has a liquid cooling system and optional ...

• Frigates

  Red White Class (Arrowhead 140)

  The Red White-class frigates are based on Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design. Indonesia ordered two vessels in 2021, and the lead ship is currently being built ...

• Light UGVs

  SPUR

  The Squad Packable Utility Robot (SPUR) is QinitiQ's newest tactical land UGV. Designed to be backpackable, the drone can be deployed rapidly from its stowed state.  It ...

• Military - USVs

  Romulus

  The Romulus is an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).  According to HII, the Romulus USV was designed as a force ...