British Army equipment, including tanks and armoured vehicles,
will receive world-class maintenance and spare parts under a
contract which supports 1,600 UK jobs.
The five-year £1.6 billion contract extension with British
defence firm Babcock will cover vital military assets including
Challenger 2 tanks, 105mm artillery guns and Trojan armoured
vehicles, ensuring they remain combat-ready to meet emerging
threats.
The Service Provision and Transformation Contract will sustain
1,600 highly skilled jobs in locations across the UK, including
over 400 in Telford and over 250 in Dorset. The investment
follows the Prime Minister's historic commitment to increase
defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, recognising the critical
importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global
uncertainty.
Maintenance services will cover preventative maintenance,
emergency repairs and spare parts management. It will also
include digital transformation to improve fleet management
efficiency, keeping more vehicles and equipment primed for
soldiers to use – boosting national security and renewing
Britain's economy as we deliver on our Plan for
Change.
The move to boost the readiness of British Army combat vehicles
comes as the UK continues to lead planning efforts for a
Coalition of Willing nations to help secure a just and lasting
peace in Ukraine. Following the planning meeting attended by
approximately 30 nations last week, further operational planning
meetings will be led by UK Commander Joint Operations, General
.
Defence Secretary MP said:
Tanks, armoured vehicles and kit are the backbone of the British
Army. We are taking action to ensure the outstanding service men
and women of our Armed Forces are properly equipped and ready to
respond to ever-changing global threats.
Supported by largest sustained increase in defence spending since
the Cold War, this substantial investment with Babcock
demonstrates how defence is an engine for growth: supporting
businesses of all sizes and sustaining more than 1,600 good,
well-paid jobs across Britain.
National security is the bedrock of a successful economy and our
Government's Plan for Change.
Babcock's Chief Executive Officer, David Lockwood
said:
In a period of increased global instability, more is being
expected of our armed forces. This contract extension ensures
that Babcock continues to provide the British Army with the tools
to do its job, when and wherever they are needed. Our know-how,
application of technology and extensive experience in the land
domain help ensure that the British Army is ready to fight and
win wars.
While the Land Integrated Operating Services programme places
future contracts, this deal will also support approximately 6,000
UK businesses throughout the wider supply chain, as well as 200
apprentices. These apprenticeships will offer valuable training
and development opportunities in fields such as HGV maintenance
and automotive refinishing, providing career paths in the defence
sector for the next generation of skilled workers.
MOD Director Land Environment, Major General Lizzie
Faithfull-Davies CBE said:
It has taken a lot of hard work to collaboratively deliver this
SPTC Reframe contract amendment. I am delighted to renew our
relationship with Babcock. With this amended contract, DE&S,
the Army, and Babcock will now provide even better support to the
in-Service platforms of our Armed forces; ensuring that the
vehicles the Army will fight from are repaired, maintained, and
ready whenever the Army need them.
The work comes ahead of the Defence Industrial Strategy, which
will bolster UK industry and provide more opportunities for
defence to be an engine for economic growth. It follows a recent
commitment to launch a new hub to provide small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) with better access to the defence supply
chain, and a commitment to set direct SME spending targets for
the Ministry of Defence by June this year.
