Babcock gets £225m contract for Canadian Victoria-class submarine maintenance

UK-based engineering company Babcock has received a £225 million (approx. US$300m) contract for work on the maintenance of Royal Canadian Navy Victoria-class submarines.

The three-year contract extension, which will now go into 2021, is the largest naval in-service support contract in Canada, according to the company.

It will see more than 400 Babcock engineers, project managers and specialist support staff continue to support all four submarines in refit and in service, including deep maintenance periods as required.

“Babcock is a trusted industrial partner to the Royal Canadian Navy and the extension of this strategic submarine support contract underlines the belief in our expert delivery and the world class technical support our team provides,” Babcock Group CEO Archie Bethel said.

“We continue to invest in Canada’s strategic submarine capability through our skilled people, involvement in the Canadian supply chain and our processes. We are delighted to be continuing this relationship with a much valued customer.”

The four Victoria-class submarines were bought by Canada from UK in 1998. After battling through a number of technical problems, including a deadly incident on board the HMCS Chicoutimi in 2004, the Canadian Navy submarine fleet is demonstrating signs of stabilization with an increasing operational scope.