Babcock awarded contract to refit UK nuclear submarine
A contract worth an estimated £560 million has been agreed for Babcock to undertake work on HMS Victorious, one of the UK’s Vanguard Class nuclear submarines.
It’s expected the work will allow modernisation and improvement for the boat so it can continue its operational patrols ‘well into the 2030s.’
Through the HMS Victorious programme, more than 1,000 jobs will be sustained in the south west.
‘Delivering the programme for this vital and complex defence asset is our top priority,’ says David Lockwood, Babcock CEO.
‘We are proud to have been awarded this complex defence programme which will use our deep engineering expertise to help keep the UK safe.’
‘In an increasingly dangerous world, it is crucial that we continue to invest in one of our most important assets, our nuclear deterrent,’ says Grant Shapps, UK Defence Secretary.
‘This is another UK partnership with Babcock, that will help keep the UK safe, while boosting the local economy and supporting 1,000 jobs.’
‘On my recent visit to HMNB Devonport it was a privilege to speak with sailors and staff whose work directly contributes to our national security.’
‘Operation Relentless’
‘The Royal Navy performs no more important mission than Operation Relentless, the continuous at sea strategic deterrent patrols which have been performed by our submariners uninterrupted since 1969,’ explains Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Martin Connell.
‘The mission requires an unprecedented national effort in support, maintaining our Vanguard-class submarines to the very highest engineering standards.’
‘The overhaul of HMS Victorious will allow the boat to carry out deterrent patrols until the next generation of submarines, the Dreadnought-class, enter service.’
Babcock is continuing to build its workforce through its Plymouth-based Babcock Skills Academy, which includes a focus on submarine support and the critical nuclear skills required to perform deep submarine maintenance.
HMS Victorious is the second Vanguard Class submarine to undergo a life extension package at Babcock’s Devonport facility. It performs a vital role as part of the UK’s critical continuous ‘at sea’ deterrent.
Babcock’s supports all of the UK’s submarine fleet. The capability and experience gained through delivery of similar complex projects, combined with new ways of working, is being applied to deliver this important overhaul programme at pace.
The programme is being delivered at Babcock’s Devonport site. A major infrastructure programme is underway at the facility to ensure the future capability requirements of the Royal Navy are met for decades to come from state-of-the-art facilities.
