British military manufacturing giant Babcock has swooped in for a £75m contract to provide training to the army’s armoured vehicle workers.
The defence firm will provide individual trade and technical training in a seven-year deal which will start in April.
This comes amid a steep rise in the demand for defence equipment, arms and vehicles, amid the Russian war in Ukraine since February 2022, and more recently, the war between Hamas and Israel, which has spread to other parts of the Middle East, including Yemen.
The rise in demand for defence has propped up the shares of UK defence firms including BAE Systems, up 43 per cent, QinetiQ, up more than seven per cent, and within the last five years, Lockheed Martin which is up more than forty per cent.
As part of the £75m deal, it will give support and close combat training on g on tracked and wheeled Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) to military personnel, including drivers, maintenance staff, and for communication and information training.
The training and support will take place at Bovington and Lulworth, both in Dorset, for the Armour Centre (ARMCEN). Babcock will also give technical and general equipment management and maintenance of the AFV.
Jo Rayson, Managing Director of Babcock’s training business said: “It is vital that soldiers are operationally ready for the field both in the UK and Europe.
“We have a long-standing role in supporting the British Army, managing all aspects of the army training cycle, designing and delivering over 758,000 individual training days annually. We are delighted to have secured this contract to continue this essential work providing training to the mounted close combat community.”
Colonel John Godfrey, Deputy Commander Combat Manoeuvre Centre & Commander Bovington garrison, said: “This critical new contract award occurs at an exciting moment in the development of the British Army’s Armoured Fighting Vehicle training.
“Babcock will continue to deliver training on our legacy vehicle fleet, seeking continuous improvement in delivery throughout this contract and our future Ajax, BOXER and Challenger 3 crews will benefit from the developments made.
In the past year, UK ministers including Grant Shapps and former city minister Andrew Griffith, have warned against ‘defunding‘ in British defence firms amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
In June last year it was reported Babcock was to meet with government ministers amid concerns over their ESG policies.