• Naval Warfare

  Might the mysterious Type 32 ‘frigate’ really be the UK’s MCM replacement?

  19th November 2020

  A £16.5 billion multi-year boost to UK defence spending, announced on 19 November, has interesting implications for the Royal Navy and the shipbuilding sector.

• Naval Warfare

  Viasat to provide UHF SATCOM for Type 31

  4th November 2020

  Secure BLoS communications are on the horizon for future RN frigates

• Training

  UK delays Hawk servicing decision

  17th November 2020

  UK MoD plan to shift all Hawk servicing to RAF Leeming would leave Hawk T2 servicing taking place away from the aircraft’s main operating base.

• Naval Warfare

  Little margin for error in Type 31 programme nearly a year after contract award

  9th October 2020

  Almost a year into the contract for the design, development and manufacture of five Type 31 frigates for the RN, Babcock is confident that the programme remains on schedule despite difficulties faced by industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock picks gun provider for Type 31 frigates

  1st October 2020

  Type 31 frigates for the UK RN will be armed with Bofors 40 Mk4 (pictured) and Bofors 57 Mk3 guns, BAE Systems announced on 1 October. The …

• Naval Warfare

  Spring restart confirmed for UK Fleet Solid Support ship programme

  21st October 2020

  The long-awaited restart of the UK’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme has been confirmed by the MoD, which will eventually deliver up to three logistics and sustainment vessels to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

• Defence Helicopter

  French Navy H160s to include Safran EO system

  9th September 2020

  The Euroflir 410 EO system from Safran Electronics & Defense will equip Airbus H160 helicopters operated by the French Navy. Babcock France selected the Euroflir system …

• Naval Warfare

  Type 31 programme moves into Whole Ship Engineering phase

  20th August 2020

  With the completion of the Whole Ship Preliminary Design Review (WSPDR) for the UK’s Type 31 frigate in June, programme lead Babcock is now transitioning …

• Training

  SkyAlyne expands FAcT team

  21st August 2020

  The SkyAlyne Canada partnership between CAE and KF Aerospace has strengthened its team that is bidding for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Future Aircrew …

• Naval Warfare

  Can the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy be deemed a success?

  14th August 2020

  Nearly three years have passed since the publication of the UK MoD’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, a navigational map intended to revitalise naval manufacturing and create a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Team Nightjar joins the battle for Project Land 2097 Phase 4

  14th July 2020

  The competition to provide a new rotary-wing fleet for Australian SOF will include a bid led by Airbus Helicopters. Team Nightjar for Project Land 2097 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rohde & Schwarz selected to supply HF radios to NZDF

  15th June 2020

  Rohde & Schwarz has been chosen by Babcock Australasia to supply R&S; M3SR Series4100 HF radios and high-power amplifiers with HF wideband capabilities to the …

• Naval Warfare

  Babcock gains another MTA contract

  3rd June 2020

  Babcock confirmed on 2 June that it has been awarded a multimillion-pound contract by General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) to deliver 18 tactical Missile Tube …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell 429 positioned for Australian SOF requirement

  28th May 2020

  Babcock is offering the Bell 429, in conjunction with the helicopter OEM, for the Australian Army’s requirement for special operations helicopters under Project Land 2097 …

• Naval Warfare

  Rolls-Royce to deliver MTU propulsion for RN Type 31 frigates

  1st June 2020

  Rolls-Royce announced on 29 May that it will deliver its complete MTU propulsion systems for five new RN Type 31 frigates (pictured). This includes 40 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Ukraine - UK supplied Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FIAC)

  Programme Background It was first reported in late September 2020 that the UK could provide eight Barzan-class fast attack craft to Ukraine. The platform has been ...

• Trainer

  PC-21 (France)

  Programme  Background The French Air and Space Force has chosen Dassault Aviation and Babcock to provide between nine and 13 Pilatus PC-21 aircraft for Phase ...

• Frigates

  Inspiration Class (Type 31) [UK]

  Development The Inspiration-class (Type 31) frigate programme for the UK Royal Navy (RN) emerged during the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 when the MoD ...

• Patrol boats

  Second-hand patrol boats (Ireland)

  Programme Background The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced on 14 March that it was selling two decommissioned 340t Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) to Ireland. As ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  Future Aircrew Training Program (Helicopter Procurement) - Canada

  The new procurement will result in one contract covering all the requirements, including maintenance and infrastructure services. Training services are currently provided through two separate ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Corvettes Procurement Programme (1-3) [Greece]

  The Hellenic Navy have a corvette requirement to replace the ten Elli-class frigates. Greece has joined as a partner of the European Patrol Corvette (EPC), which is ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Corvettes Procurement Programme (1-3) [Greece]

  The Hellenic Navy have a corvette requirement to replace the ten Elli-class frigates. Greece has joined as a partner of the European Patrol Corvette (EPC), which is ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Type 32 [UK]

  On 19 November 2020, the British Prime Minister announced an increase in defence spending over four years, representing a £16.5 billion increase. Amongst this announcement was ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Type 32 [UK]

  On 19 November 2020, the British Prime Minister announced an increase in defence spending over four years, representing a £16.5 billion increase. Amongst this announcement was ...

• Aircraft carriers

  Queen Elizabeth Class

  The contract to begin the construction of the first ship was awarded in 2008, ten years after the programme was announced in the 1998 SDR. ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Project Land 2097 Phase 4 - Australia

  According to the RfI, under Project Land 2097 Phase 4, the selected helicopter must comprise a commercial or military off-the-shelf solution that is already in ...

• Frigates

  Arrowhead 140 Frigate Acquisition (1-2) [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Requirements Indonesia’s policy of Minimum Essential Force (MEF) seeks to create an armed force capable of defending the nation. The navy has thus ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Greek Stop-Gap Frigate Procurement

  The Hellenic Navy has an urgent requirement for new frigates. Between two and four new frigates were expected to be procured, but the need was ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Greek Stop-Gap Frigate Procurement

  The Hellenic Navy has an urgent requirement for new frigates. Between two and four new frigates were expected to be procured, but the need was ...

• Frigates

  Type 32 [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has said work on the new programme will not begin until the mid-2020s. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Frigates

  Inspiration Class (Type 31)

  The Inspiration-class (Type 31) is a general-purpose frigate being procured by the UK RN to replace its Type 23 Duke-class frigates. The new frigates will ...

• Trainer

  TB 30 Epsilon

  The Socata TB 30 Epsilon is a light truboprop trainer aircraft. The first aircraft flew in 1979 and entered service in 1983. It is in ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  UK MFTS

  The Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme, is a private finance initiative involving the MoD and Ascent, a JV of Lockheed Martin and Babcock, which was ...

• Major networking projects

  Project Marshall

  The Joint Military Air Traffic Services project was initiated by the UK MoD in November 2005 to identify and evaluate options for the future delivery ...

• Frigates

  Miecznik frigates (Arrowhead 140)

  The Miecznik frigates are based on the Babcock Arrowhead 140 design, already selected by the Royal Navy and the Indonesian Navy. Three ships have been ordered ...

• Air: transport/tanker simulators

  A330 Voyager MRTT Training Services

  Through AirTanker Services, a JV between Thales, Airbus Group, Cobham, Rolls-Royce and Babcock, Thales provides and maintains training services for the RAF’s Future Strategic Tanker ...

• Trainer

  PC-21

  Pilatus began the development of the PC-21 single-turboprop low-wing swept monoplane advanced trainer in 1999. The PC-21 can also be operated in the light attack ...

• Trainer

  Phenom 100

  Phenom 100 is a very light jet originally developed for single owner-pilot operation but later gained popularity as a jet trainer aircraft. The platform first ...

• Towed guns

  Centurion LPWS

  Raytheon developed the Centurion Land-based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) in 2004-05 to provide a C-RAM system to protect US bases in Iraq. The heart of ...

• Naval guns

  Bofors 40 mk4

  Bofors 40 Mk4 is a naval gun system developed and produced by BAE Systems. It was originally produced by Swedish Bofors, which was acquired by ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  SK4110

  Rohde&Schwarz; SK4110 is a high-power HF transmitter that provides beyond-line-of-sight communications with a high data rate. Notably, it has a liquid cooling system and optional ...

• Naval guns

  4.5" Mark 8

  The 4.5" Mark 8 is a medium calibre naval gun developed in the United Kingdom. The current 4.5" Mark 8 replaced the World War II 4.5" guns in ...

• Frigates

  Project 16 (Godavari Class)

  Project 16 (Godavari class) guided-missile frigates were designed and built for the Indian Navy as the country's first ingenuously designed and  built naval ship. The ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM, Naval: Radio and SATCOM

  R&S M3SR Series4100

  Rohde & Schwarz M3SR Series4100 is a family of software-defined HF radios designed for stationary and shipborne communications. Offered in multiple configurations, they offer high-data-rate BLOS ...

• H160

  Airbus Helicopters unveiled a full-scale model of the H160 medium twin rotorcraft on 3 March 2015 at Heli-Expo. The utility helicopter, the first to be ...