US taps Babcock to build parts for Virginia subs in Scotland

HII and Babcock have signed a new contract that will see major sections of US Virginia-class submarines built in Scotland, deepening industrial links between the two countries and broadening the AUKUS supply base.

The deal authorises Babcock to manufacture complex submarine assemblies for Virginia-class Block VI boats at its Rosyth yard. The companies cast the move as a step that strengthens production resilience and expands the number of suppliers trusted to handle high-tolerance submarine structures.

HII’s chief executive Chris Kastner said the agreement marks “a significant next step in delivering on our joint commitment to enhance both organisations’ capabilities, for the benefit of U.S. and U.K. programs.” He added that “leveraging Babcock’s reach and expertise in the U.K. will reinforce our supplier base, strengthen submarine production in the U.S., and support the trilateral AUKUS partnership.”

David Lockwood, the company’s chief executive, said: “Babcock’s advanced manufacturing expertise has enabled us to build on our established missile tube assembly capability, to deliver additional complex assemblies for the US submarine fleet.” He termed the broadened partnership “an optimisation of joint capabilities for the benefit of the wider AUKUS security partnership.”

Defence Secretary John Healey said the contract reflects growing global confidence in Scotland’s defence workforce. He described the announcement as “another vote of confidence in the workers and skills of Scotland’s defence industry,” adding that it “demonstrates that the UK is becoming a global leader for advanced marine and submarine engineering.” Healey said the government is “proud to wholeheartedly support Scottish defence workers on the world stage.”

The companies have been widening their cooperation since 2023, including work on nuclear decommissioning, the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification programme and unmanned underwater systems. At DSEI, they signed a separate MoU combining HII’s REMUS UUVs with Babcock’s launch systems to pursue torpedo-tube deployment options for autonomous systems.

Taken together, the steps indicate a coordinated effort to fuse US, UK and Australian industrial capacity for undersea programmes where the production pipeline is under strain and demand is rising.