Feature 2 | UK NAVAL INDUSTRY
Consolidated support for UK fleet
The acquisition of DML by Babcock International Group last year
represents important maritime industrial consolidation and integration
of UK fleet support, in line with Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS)
recommendations.
I
n seeking to promote a sustainable This amalgamation of the UK’s principal effectiveness and cost efficiency, makes this
defence industrial base, the DIS White warship and submarine support specialists a key move in cost of ownership for the UK
Paper published in 2005 identified a to form Babcock Marine has created a fleet,’ he said.
need for restructuring, and highlighted single organisation with a unique through- Alignment and rationalisation of this
industrial consolidation as ‘a matter of life platform support capability. While new capability is now underway as the company
urgency, and ‘beneficial to MoD and military programmes and their associated implements its integration and development
industry’. spend tend to attract more media attention, strategy. In so doing, it is aligning itself
Considerable advances have been made it is the in-service support element that, closely with the DE&S organisation and
since then in the UK maritime industry. notably, typically represents 60%-75% initiatives to reflect MoD needs, with
While the planned joint venture between of the whole life cost of a surface ship whom it is currently negotiating an all-
BAE Systems and VT Group unifies or submarine, Babcock Marine’s chief embracing terms of business agreement
UK warship design and build capability, executive Archie Bethel points out. (ToBA) that is intended to bring together
the acquisition of DML by Babcock ‘The fusion of such substantial expertise the plethora of contracts currently in
International Group in June 2007 represents and capability in the in-service support place between the organisation’s various
a significant move in the integration of in- arena, and opportunity this represents to operations and the MoD, in itself an
service support. manage and deliver this with optimum alignment and consolidation process with
a view to optimising outputs to the benefit
of the MoD.
Crucially, the organisation brings
together the three facilities and resources
of Devonport, Rosyth, and Faslane, with
responsibility for all waterfront engineering
activities that maintain the Royal Navy’s
submarine flotilla and majority (75%) of
the surface ships, and a unique force of
over 6000 specialist technicians, engineers,
and skilled craftsmen. Inevitably this new
shape of the UK’s in-service support base
has positive implications for delivering
cost-efficient fleet support.
‘As an organisation structured around
its capability areas or business streams
across its three sites, we are able to provide
through-life management for warships,
submarines, and equipment, through our
facilities, design, materials and systems,
and waterfront engineering capabilities,
all underpinned by significant information
management expertise,’ Bethel said.
The amalgamation of the UK’s principal
warship and submarine support specialists
to form Babcock Marine has created a
single organisation with a unique through-
life platform support capability.
18 Warship Technology May 2008
WT May 08 - p18+19+20.indd 18 23/04/2008 16:15:52
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