The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded Babcock a 1.6-billion-pound (approximately $2.06-billion) contract extension for the maintenance of British Army equipment.
The five-year Service Provision and Transformation Contract covers platforms such as Challenger 2 tanks, 105mm artillery guns, and Trojan armored vehicles, ensuring combat-readiness.
It includes 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,” according to the Ministry of Defence.
Sixteen Hundred Skilled Jobs
The original contract was awarded in 2015 for a period of 10 years.
The extension is intended to provide an upgraded maintenance program, paving the way for the army modernization program in the coming decades, the London-headquartered firm stated.
It includes the sustainment of 1,600 highly-skilled jobs across 20 sites in the UK, including over 400 in Telford and over 250 in Dorset.
“Supported by the 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,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey 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,” Babcock Chief Executive Officer, David Lockwood, added.
