UK: Babcock Inks HMS Scott Through-Life Contract

Babcock has won a five year contract from the UK Ministry of Defence to provide through-life engineering support for the Royal Navy’s ocean survey vessel HMS Scott, following a successful competitive bid process.

Under the contract, which includes an option to extend in 2018 for a further five years, Babcock will provide all aspects of through-life support for the vessel, working collaboratively in long term relationships with the MoD and some of its selected specialist contractors. Key tenets in delivering the contract will be to ensure effective targeting of funding, increasing value for money to the MoD, and delivering improved platform availability and sustainability.

The contract scope includes all aspects of Fleet Time Engineering Support for HMS Scott, including rectification of operational defects, planning and delivery of Fleet Time Support Periods, equipment spares management, design services, management of all maintenance requirements using the Unit Maintenance Management System database, provision of an electronic shared working environment for the exchange of technical information and spares supply and logistics information, and undertaking all work required to keep the vessel operational. Planning and execution of a deep refit maintenance package will also be undertaken in 2013 under the contract.

A dedicated Devonport-based ‘Scott Support Team’ will work with the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support and the Royal Navy to manage the delivery of the through life support contract. The team has access to considerable reach-back within Babcock including synergies with the ongoing Surface Ship Support Alliance, which is successfully supporting the majority of RN complex warships.

Babcock will work with existing MoD Market Facing Category (MFC) contractors (selected companies supplying and certifying specific products or services) for certain products or services such as classification society certification and furnishings. Babcock has already started establishing the necessary relationships with all the MFC companies and looks forward to working closely with them over the coming years in the support of HMS Scott.

Commenting on the contract, Babcock Managing Director Warships Mike Whalley said:

“We are delighted to have secured this important contract with the MoD’s Commercially Supported Shipping team. This builds on Babcock’s extensive experience and expertise in warship support as the Royal Navy’s strategic support partner carrying out the majority of through life support to the UK’s warship and submarine fleet, including having provided support to HMS Scott from Devonport over many years. Through this new partnering relationship we will establish with the customer for this long-term through-life contract we will be able to invest in innovative new support techniques and processes and make use of the same global support network as is currently used for the remainder of the RN fleet.”

MoD Defence Equipment & Support Head of Commercially Supported Shipping, Commodore David Preston (RFA), said: “

Following open competition I am pleased to confirm that Babcock has been awarded the five year contract for the through life support of HMS Scott, maintaining the vital ocean survey capability. This is a new approach to the support for HMS Scott and we look forward to developing new ways of working with them.”

The new through life support contract for HMS Scott comes into effect from 4 May 2013.

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Press Release, May 10, 2013.