Babcock International Group

We were pleased to welcome the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, to our Rosyth site today where she announced further support for the defence industry. As a key industry partner in delivering vital defence projects, we welcome the announcement that will drive defence exports, economic growth and create jobs across the UK, and look forward to working with the government to bolster the UK’s competitiveness in the defence industry. John Howie, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Babcock, said: “Our defence industry plays a vital role in the security and defence of the UK and is a major contributor to the Scottish economy. Here at Rosyth, Babcock is extremely proud to be delivering five new Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy within 10 years of contract signing – a trailblazing programme that has already resulted in the export of this sovereign capability to Poland and Indonesia.”

We’re gearing up to play a key role at the Farnborough International Space Show next week - the UK's largest international event dedicated to pioneering the commercial space age and advancing space domain defence. Our Mission Systems business is a world leader in delivering strategic communications products and solutions, with our services found on platforms from submarines to satellites. The event coincides with our one-year anniversary of operating SKYNET, the UK Ministry of Defence’s military satellite communication programme. We’re looking forward to marking the occasion at the show by showcasing our innovative solutions and technologies that are driving advancements across our business. Speaking ahead of the conference, Neal Misell, Chief Executive Mission Systems, said: “This is a great time to be a part of the UK Space industry. Working together with our partners in Team Aurora we ensure the nation’s critical services and assets are readily available for the end user. We’re looking forward to being a part of next week’s event.” Stay tuned next week for updates from the event! #FISS2025 📸: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2025

As a major employer in Plymouth, we’re committed to playing our part in delivering this exciting plan and helping to drive growth in the region for decades to come.

This International Women’s Day we’re not just celebrating – we’re taking action. At Babcock, we’re committed to accelerating progress on gender balance and creating an environment where women can thrive, lead and grow. The key part of this is Illuminate, our flagship development programme, which is already empowering 100 women across our business with the skills, networks and confidence to take their careers to the next level. Through mentoring, learning experiences and leadership development, we’re not just investing in our women, we’re building a stronger, more diverse future for Babcock. But progress doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes intentional action, advocacy, and a commitment from everyone at Babcock to create meaningful change. We’re focused on building a workplace where talent – not gender – define opportunity, and where women have the support and resources to reach their full potential. As we mark International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to creating a more inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace – because when we accelerate action, we accelerate change. #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction

We welcome yesterday’s announcement by the Australian Government that it will partner with HII to facilitate extensive supply chain uplift activities across the country in support of the AUKUS tri-nation agreement. The two-year Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot Program will accelerate the identification and qualification of Australian suppliers and products to meet the unique standards of the nuclear environment, so they can access the US Virginia class supply chain. Qualification of small and medium enterprise (SME) will be executed and supported in-country by H&B Defence – a joint venture between Babcock Australasia and HII. Tim Brown, Managing Director, H&B Defence, said: “H&B Defence welcomes the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Minister Pat Conroy. This initiative underpins Australia’s industrial mobilisation efforts and will greatly enhance the nation’s sovereign capability - uplifting its industrial base to support the nuclear-powered submarine programs of each of the AUKUS partners. “Qualifying Australian suppliers to operate within the US nuclear-powered submarine programs now will equip them with the appropriate level of accreditation to support Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program.”

Today is World Book Day, and we’ve been working with charity Promoting Children in Plymouth to deliver storytelling sessions in schools throughout the area. It’s our fourth year taking part in the event, where we aim to inspire children about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), and break down barriers to help children imagine what a STEM career could look like. Over 20 employees from our Devonport site, including a group of our STEM Ambassadors, delivered reading sessions across seven primary schools in Plymouth. They read books from the ‘Adventures of Scout' series, written by former Babcock engineers 'The3Engineers’, which help to raise awareness about the importance of looking after the environment. As a major employer in the South West, we hope to inspire as many pupils as we can through STEM related topics, all while raising awareness about being kind to the planet.

Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Babcock. That’s why we’re proud to support the RNLI and the lifesaving work they do. For Barry Gourlay, one of our Production Managers at Rosyth, this commitment runs deep. As a volunteer crew member with the RNLI for more than 20 years, and deputy coxswain for the last five, Barry knows firsthand the importance of the lifesaving charity. So when the Anstruther Shannon class lifeboat came into our Rosyth facilities for works to be carried out, it was more than a project to Barry. With the support of colleagues and the wider Babcock team, the lifeboat was put through its paces during sea trials before being returned to Anstruther – ready to continue its vital work.

We’re reaching the end of our Festival of Engineering two-day event in Bristol and it’s been a busy one with around 400 children taking part in a range of fun activities, all centred around Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Today our Chief People Officer, Louise Atkinson, attended the event to deliver an inspiring talk on the importance of being open to all opportunities and her passion for encouraging girls into STEM careers. With women only making up around 16% of the engineering workforce in the UK, events like these form part of our ongoing commitment to attracting more women into the industry, by introducing more young girls to a wide range of career choices in STEM at an early age. Louise commented: “Our Festival of Engineering events are aimed at raising awareness of the amazing opportunities STEM careers can give young people and to help students make informed career-based decisions at a young age. Holding events like this means we can introduce pupils to a wide range of career choices in these fields that they may not have considered before.” As we look forward to International Women’s Day on Saturday, we’re proud to be accelerating action to achieve gender balance in our business and industry.

Continuing our focus on breaking down barriers to employment and supporting our local communities, we’ve welcomed participants in the Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) to our Vehicle Engineering site in Walsall. Participants discovered how we play a critical role in supporting UK defence and security, before going on a tour of the facility which is home to our new General Logistics Vehicle family and our Civilian Armoured Vehicle, allowing them to gain a great insight into our business and learn about the variety of career opportunities we offer. The SWAP, which was developed in collaboration with the local Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Walsall Council and Walsall College, supports those in the local community interested in finding out about roles in defence and gaining the qualifications, skills and experience that will support them with their return to employment. This initiative represents the third programme of its type that we’ve been involved in, following similar programmes in Devonport. Adam, a participant of the SWAP, said: "From my visit to Babcock it is evident that the staff are passionate and truly enjoy their work. The SWAP is a positive initiative and Babcock is doing a good thing supporting it.”

To continue to break down barriers and inspire the next generation of talent into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), today we’ve kicked off our two-day long Festival of Engineering (FOE) in Bristol. The fun-packed event gives around 400 pupils from local schools the opportunity to take part in a range of activities, from virtual reality welding and coding to trying their hand at our bridge building challenge. The event coincides with UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development and is the first of three FOE events we’ll be hosting this year – with one in Rosyth in May, where the event has been running for six years, and another in Devonport in June. Supported by The Royal Navy, Engineering UK, industry partners like BAE Systems and the charity Not Just for Girls, this week’s event looks at breaking down barriers in to STEM careers, with a focus on encouraging more women in to engineering, defence-related career pathways and empowering those from disadvantaged backgrounds. With the event well underway, it’s great to see our visitors engaging with the activities and learning what a future in STEM could look like for them!