Babcock lands Royal Navy aircraft carrier training contract extension

Engineering services company Babcock International announced on Wednesday that its Marine Training business signed a 36-month contract extension with the Royal Navy.

Illustration. Royal Navy photo of HMS Queen Elizabeth during F-35B flight trials

The company also noted that the maritime training business is expanding to a new facility in Hampshire.

The recently awarded Future Training Unit (FTU) contract extension starts in October 2018 and will principally be in support of training for the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

“This contract highlights our collaborative working relationship with the Royal Navy and is testament to the quality of our training products,” Mark Graves, managing director for Marine Training said. “I am delighted that we are able to play our part in delivering high quality training content and media support for those destined for employment on the nation’s two new aircraft carriers.”

In addition to the training contract, Babcock’s Marine Training team has secured operating space within the new Innovation Centre at Fareham, Hampshire.

“This £7 million facility, located on the edge of the former HMS Daedalus site, aims to create a supportive ecosystem for growing businesses across the marine, engineering and aerospace sectors and Babcock will be able to utilize this location to reach out to a number of new and existing customers and collaborators.”

“As well as providing an ideal operating environment, we will be able to engage proactively with a range of innovative and growing local companies operating within manufacturing and technology industries,” Mark Graves continued.

Babcock further noted that plans progress to deliver non-pressurized submarine escape, rescue, abandonment and survival training for the Royal Navy at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.