Babcock wins £30m 10-year QEC carrier maintenance contract
Three hundred jobs will be supported across Rosyth dockyard and the wider supply chain as a result. Alex Walters16th May 2022 at 9:52 am
A £30m contract for dry-dock maintenance for the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers has been awarded to Babcock International Group.
The 10-year agreement will ensure the two warships – HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – are able to undergo dry dockings for planned maintenance and repair at Babcock’s Rosyth facilities in Scotland.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the contract will sustain 300 jobs across the Fife facility – which is also currently building the Navy’s new Type 31 frigates – and the wider supply chain.
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The agreement allows the vessels to continue to operate safely and remain available for defence operations, both for the UK and its allies.
Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin said: “The Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers are the flagships of our Royal Navy and it’s crucial they remain ready to protect and defend the UK and our allies.
“Both carriers had their final construction in Rosyth, and I’m pleased they will return for their dry-dock maintenance, supporting vital jobs and skills in Scotland.”
QEC’s require dry-docking periodically throughout their lives to undertake maintenance and repair activities that will ensure the UK continues to have a flexible and modern naval force that can respond to future threats.
The QECs continue to uphold security both in UK waters and overseas. Play Video
Watch: HMS Prince of Wales at the centre of the largest Arctic exercise in 30 years.
HMS Prince of Wales recently supported Exercise Cold Response – a month-long test of allied forces that saw 30,000 troops from 27 nations operate together.
Sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth also recently carried out vital training and exercises in waters close to the UK to keep her ready for operations anywhere in the world.