Babcock International Group (Babcock) has signed a four-year £750 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence's (MOD) Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), to deliver the infrastructure required to support and sustain the UK's submarines for decades to come.

As part of the major infrastructure programme underway at the Devonport site, Babcock will deliver substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure that will support the future capability of the Royal Navy and the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise.

The contract for the delivery of infrastructure to support submarine maintenance includes a dock, logistics and modern support facilities, and underpins the wider role Babcock plays in sustaining the entirety of the UK submarine fleet.

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Crucial to the UK submarine programme, the contract forms part of the site-wide infrastructure upgrade programme at Devonport to enable the ongoing delivery of base maintenance periods and deep maintenance projects for current and future classes of submarine, including nuclear defuel.

Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: "Maintaining the infrastructure that supports our world-leading submarine fleet is crucial.

"Delivering on our government’s priority to grow the UK economy, this significant investment will create and sustain more than a thousand UK jobs in the south-west, providing vital improvements to the dockyard that will be critical to ensuring our Royal Navy can continue to protect the UK and our Allies."

Sir Chris Gardner KBE, CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency said: "Investing in our vital submarine maintenance facilities in the Defence Nuclear Enterprise at Devonport is critical to our National Security. I am delighted to have placed the construction contract with Babcock for the delivery of dock and infrastructure for our Attack Submarine deep maintenance projects later this decade. This will ensure we deliver available and capable submarines for the Royal Navy to operate in defence of our Nation."