Babcock nuclear submarine contract to sustain 1,000 South West jobs

Engineering giant Babcock has been awarded a £560m contract to carry out “deep maintenance” and “life extension” work on a UK nuclear submarine. The multi-year programme on MS Victorious, which is being carried out at the Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth, will sustain 1,000 jobs in the South West.

Babcock secured the full cost recovery contract with the UK’s Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA). The programme will deliver HMS Victorious back to the Royal Navy modernised and improved, enabling it to continue operational patrols well into the 2030s.

Work on the submarine is already under way, following a commitment by the department to authorise early works from July 2023.

HMS Victorious is the second Vanguard Class submarine to undergo a life-extension package at Babcock’s Devonport facility.

Babcock chief executive David Lockwood said: “Delivering the programme for this vital and complex defence asset is our top priority. We are proud to have been awarded this complex defence programme which will use our deep engineering expertise to help keep the UK safe.”

Babcock’s supports all of the UK’s submarine fleet. Defence secretary Grant Shapps said: “In an increasingly dangerous world, it is crucial that we continue to invest in one of our most important assets, our nuclear deterrent.

“This is another UK partnership with Babcock, that will help keep the UK safe, while boosting the local economy and supporting 1,000 jobs.”

Second sea lord vice admiral Martin Connell added: “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.

“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.”

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