At an event that marked the keel laying of HMS Formidable, Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie turned to another development he argued signals Rosyth’s growing weight in global defence manufacturing: the decision by US shipbuilding giant HII to expand its partnership with Babcock for work on Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines.
Downie told workers the announcement was nothing short of transformative for the yard’s international standing.
“Today’s news that HII are choosing to deepen their strategic partnership with Babcock to support the Virginia-class submarine construction programme is fantastic news for Rosyth and for Scotland’s defence manufacturing sector.”
He linked the deal to a rising tempo of major wins for the dockyard. “Over the last 18 months, the Rosyth dockyard has secured a series of major defence contracts, and today’s announcement reinforces its position at the very forefront of global shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing.”
Throughout his remarks, Downie stressed that international confidence was built on the workforce itself. “This success is entirely down to the world-class skills, dedication and innovation of the workforce. Their expertise is recognised not just here at home, but now by our international partners as well, as demonstrated by the trust that the United States of America has placed in the Babcock workforce.”
For Rosyth, the HII partnership promises long-term, highly specialised work producing advanced assemblies for one of the most sophisticated submarine classes in the world. Downie framed it as both economic and strategic uplift. “I welcome this contract as a vote of confidence in Rosyth’s capabilities to deliver advanced assemblies, and as a significant boost for skilled jobs and our local economy.”
Rosyth, he argued, is no longer only a national asset. It is becoming a trusted node within the defence industrial networks of Britain’s closest allies.
