As part of the £400 million Skynet Service Delivery Wrap (SDW)
contract, Babcock and their partners will operate and manage the
UK MOD’s constellation of military satellites, ground stations
and integrate new user terminals.
Skynet operations deliver information to UK and allied forces
around the world, enabling a battlefield information advantage
anywhere, anytime.
Delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy,
creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the
country, this contract is expected to support around 400 UK jobs
in Corsham, Bristol and Plymouth. Those benefiting will include
engineers, scientists, space technicians and administrative
staff.
Their work will ensure that our deployed forces have a
world-leading capability to communicate back to the UK, whether
on the battlefield, onboard a ship or in the air.
The SDW contract is part of the wider satellite communications
SKYNET 6 programme which will provide space-based communications
to 2041 and beyond, with an overall government investment of £6
billion.
Defence Procurement Minister KC said:
Space is increasingly important for maintaining battlefield
advantage.
The UK’s next generation military satellite communications system
will keep us at the forefront of this critical domain and the
work under this contract will bolster our resilience for years to
come.
Providing low risk, uninterrupted services necessary to support
the current Skynet 5 infrastructure, the partnership will also
support the successful transition of services for future Skynet
operations.
David Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer for Babcock,
said:
We are delighted to have been chosen to support this
world-leading technological safeguard. Skynet enables vital
communications to the UK Armed Forces wherever they are, helping
to keep them safe.
In addition to the SDW contract, the Skynet 6 programme will
deliver:
- Skynet 6A, which comprises manufacturing and launch of the
Skynet 6A satellite and is being delivered by Airbus Defence and
Space UK;
- Skynet Enduring Capability, which will deliver new
space-based technology from 2028 onwards;
- The provision of new ground and user terminal capabilities to
ensure that UK war fighters have modern communications technology
worldwide; and
- A longer-term innovative approach for delivering space-based
communications capability to follow on from the SDW contract.
