Babcock has been awarded a contract to manage the UK Royal Navy’s Type 23-class Refit Support Group, a team that will oversee the upkeep of the newly upgraded frigates.
The company’s leadership in the maintenance efforts will free up navy personnel for frontline operations and create new roles for 40 engineering technicians and managers.
The support group will work at the Devonport Naval Base in southwest England, handling routine maintenance and contracted upkeep projects as well as addressing emergent defects.
Babcock Marine Support Technical Director Martin Burns said the deal will help de-risk the frigates’ upkeep program by letting the company integrate its thorough understanding of the ships.
“Our team has delivered Refit Support Group full operating capability to plan, building on our long-standing Type 23 frigate support capability,” he added.
The Refit Support Group will work alongside Babcock’s Upkeep project teams, which managed HMS St Albans’ mid-life upgrade delivery three months ahead of schedule.
Type 23 Mid-Life Upgrades
The Type 23 frigates took part in life extension upgrades that redesigned the fleet to allow the installation of newer capabilities onboard.
It incorporated new air defense systems, sensors and radars, and diesel engines to help the fleet serve well into the middle of the next decade.
The ships will be replaced by the upcoming Type 26 frigates by the end of their life cycle.
