Babcock has secured authorisation to manufacture complex submarine assemblies at its Rosyth facility for the United States Navy’s Virginia Class Block VI fast-attack submarine programme.
The work comes through an expansion of Babcock’s existing strategic partnership with HII, the American shipbuilder responsible for Virginia Class construction. A small initial engineering contract is already underway at Rosyth.
Babcock said the authorisation came “through expansion of our strategic partnership with HII,” adding that it is “now authorised to manufacture and build complex submarine assemblies at Rosyth for Virginia Class Block VI fast-attack submarines.”
The company did not disclose the value of the initial contract, describing it only as “a small initial engineering contract” that is currently underway.
The Virginia Class is a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine designed and built for the United States Navy. Developed as a successor to the Seawolf Class, the programme was initiated in the 1990s with the aim of producing a more affordable yet highly capable vessel suited to a broad range of missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, and special operations support. The lead vessel, USS Virginia, was commissioned in 2004.
Production of the class is shared between HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division in Virginia and General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut, with each yard responsible for completing alternate submarines. The programme is structured into successive blocks, each incorporating incremental capability improvements. Block VI, the variant to which Babcock’s Rosyth work relates, represents the latest iteration of the design and incorporates upgrades to combat systems, payload capacity, and acoustic performance.
The Virginia Class constitutes the backbone of the US Navy’s fast-attack submarine fleet, with over 20 vessels in service and further hulls under construction or on order. The class is designed to operate in both open-ocean and littoral environments, and is intended to remain in front-line service through the middle of the century alongside the larger Columbia Class ballistic missile submarines currently entering production.
That’s great news! Hopefully it expands further.
I think this is the Virginia Payload Module which is shared with SSN_AUKUS. Not 100% sure but it’s a big deal for Babcock and a big step for AUKUS.
Yes it’s been previously announced about them building VPMs for the Virginias and that this is also to be used in the AUKUS class. VPMs are also manufactured by BAE in Kentucky.
Could this announcement be something in addition to the VPMs? Either way it’s positive news.
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Was “Defence” even mentioned as a stand alone issue in the King’s Speech?
I don’t see anything in the BBC reporting.
Unbelievable. But not in the least surprising.
Agree. Crazy crazy times.
To any Americans before you sign and seal the deal with Babcock International Rosyth. Please read the Times Newspaper 14th May and the construction of the Royal Navy type 31 Frigates now in progress in the Sheds of Rosyth dockyard . Thank god there wasn’t a crease in the blueprints as well or we might have a Hull with a right angle halfway along the upper deck. How could this have happened whilst the third keel is being laid . So instead of an entry date instead of 2027 the time line has now been pushed back until the early 2030ts. .Please read the Times newspaper for the full story and cost .