Naval Warfare

Babcock to take over upkeep of Royal Navy Type-23 frigates

24th April 2024

The Royal Navy’s Type-23 Duke-class frigates for the UK Royal Navy were designed as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships but now have a multi-role function. Of the 16 Type 23s built, 12 remain in service with the Royal Navy and will be replaced by the Type-26 frigates before 2035.

Training

Babcock to partner with companies to develop improved VR training system

12th April 2024

Ship and vehicle builder Babcock has been looking to build on its defence training division through new partnerships.

Naval Warfare

Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates to receive life rafts from Survitec

27th March 2024

Babcock has signed a contract with the survival tech company for forty life rafts, which will be extended into 2028.

Naval Warfare

HMS St Albans returns to service after upgrade

7th March 2024

Of the 16 Type 23s built, 12 are still in service with the Royal Navy and will be replaced by the Type 26 frigates, while the other three have been sold to the Chilean Navy and are in service as the Cochrane-class.

Naval Warfare

Babcock wins $707 million HMS Victorious support and upgrade contract

1st March 2024

The UK Royal Navy’s Vanguard class of ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) provide the UK with its continuous-at-sea deterrent (CASD) coverage and have done so since 1994 when the boats started to replace the Resolution-class submarines. Second of class, HMS Victorious, entered service in 1995.

Training

Babcock wins British Army armoured vehicle training deal

7th February 2024

Babcock has signed a contract to provide a range of training including driving, maintenance, gunnery, communications and information systems training to British Army fighting vehicle operators.

Naval Warfare

Aurora Engineering wins Royal Navy support contract

6th February 2024

A partnership between QinetiQ, BMT and AtkinsRéalis has been selected to ensure that the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary receive support and service during operations.

Naval Warfare

Babcock to supply weapons system for South Korean Jangbogo-III submarine

31st January 2024

A total of three Jangbogo-III Batch II class submarines have been ordered as part of the $2.7 billion programme.

Naval Warfare

MBDA to provide Sea Ceptor naval defence systems for Polish Miecznik-class frigates

15th January 2024

The Miecznik (Swordfish) programme, a multi-role frigate project for the Polish Navy, was first reported in 2014 as a multi-role coastal patrol vessel.

Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

Programme 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 ...

Trainer

PC-21 (France)

Programme  Background The French Air and Space Force has chosen Dassault Aviation and Babcock to provide between nine and 13 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft for Phase ...

Frigates

Inspiration Class (Type 31)

Development 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 ...

Patrol boats

Second-hand patrol boats (Ireland)

Programme 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 ...

Military helicopters - light/training

Future Aircrew Training Program (Helicopter Procurement) - Canada

The new procurement will result in one contract covering all the requirements, including maintenance and infrastructure services. Training services are currently provided through two separate ...

Military helicopters - scout/light attack

Project Land 2097 Phase 4 - Australia

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 already in ...

Frigates

Arrowhead 140 Frigate Acquisition [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

Type 32 [UK]

Programme Background Requirements The UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has said work on the new programme will not begin until the mid-2020s. ...

Frigates

Miecznik (Swordfish) Programme [Poland]

Programme Background Polish Armament Group is a consortium that was tasked with the development of the Miecnik class coastal defence vessels for the Polish Navy. ...

Frigates

Ukraine Future Frigate Capability

Programme BackgroundUkraine currently operates just one ageing Russian Krivak-class frigate which first entered service with the Russian Navy in 1993 before being transferred to Ukraine ...

OPVs

Multi-Role Vessel [Ireland]

Programme Background Requirements As part of the Equipment Development Plan (EDP), the Irish Naval Service is looking to acquire a Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) to replace LÉ ...

Frigates

Greek Stop-Gap Frigate Procurement

Programme Background The Hellenic Navy is acquiring up to four new Frigates. This major equipment programme is the most discussed equipment issue on the Greek ...

Corvettes

Corvettes Procurement Programme (1-3) [Greece]

Programme Background Requirements Greece is looking to procure a new class of corvettes to replace part of the ageing Elli-class frigates. As the country is ...

Submarines: conventional, attack

Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) [Canada]

Programme Background Requirements The Royal Canadian Navy currently operates four second-hand Victoria-class SSK. They were purchased from the UK in the late 1990s and re-commissioned ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Naval guns

Bofors 40 mk4

Bofors 40 Mk4 is a naval gun system developed and produced by BAE Systems. It was originally produced by Swedish Bofors, which was acquired by ...

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 ...

Naval guns

4.5" Mark 8

The 4.5" Mark 8 is a medium calibre naval gun developed in the United Kingdom. The current 4.5" Mark 8 replaced the World War II 4.5" guns in ...

Frigates

Project 16 (Godavari Class)

Project 16 (Godavari class) guided-missile frigates were designed and built for the Indian Navy as the country's first ingenuously designed and  built naval ship. The ...

Land: Radio and SATCOM, Naval: Radio and SATCOM

R&S M3SR Series4100

Rohde & Schwarz M3SR Series4100 is a family of software-defined HF radios designed for stationary and shipborne communications. Offered in multiple configurations, they offer high-data-rate BLOS ...

Frigates

Duke Class (Type 23)

The Type 23 Duke class frigates for the UK Royal Navy were designed as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships to operate in the North Atlantic against ...