Babcock has announced seven technology and defence partners have joined its ARMOR Force (Autonomous and Remote Maritime Operational Response – Force) Framework centred around its Type 31 frigate.
The firm claims its new partnerships have created “the first end-to-end ecosystem designed to deliver coherent Hybrid Navy capability at scale.”
Its new partners — CUBEDIN, Exail, Hensoldt, Kraken Technology Group, SH Defence, Stormborn and Thales — bring expertise spanning autonomous platforms, sensors, payloads, communications and mission systems.
They join Babcock’s existing partners HII and Arondite: HII is providing its Romulus USVs and Cobalt, Arondite’s mission orchestration platform, will glue together the ecosystem of technologies and systems. Its open modular architecture means other third-party systems can be integrated as required.
Chief Growth Officer and Chief Executive – Marine at Babcock Sir Nick Hine commented: “The future Hybrid Navy will not be built from individual technologies operating in isolation. Success depends on bringing together platforms, systems, data and people into a coherent operational capability.
“ARMOR Force does exactly that. By establishing this framework and bringing together world-leading partners, we are creating an ecosystem that enables navies to adopt autonomous capability with confidence.
“Babcock acts as the integrator and accountable delivery partner, ensuring customers receive a proven, deployable capability rather than a collection of promising technologies.”
Babcock has also announced the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Everllence, a Danish propulsion, decarbonisation and efficiency solution provider, and with Saab Denmark.
It means Everllence will become a strategic partner for power and propulsion systems across Babcock’s Arrowhead programmes, which include the Arrowhead 140 (AH140), the base design for the Royal Navy’s forthcoming Type 31 frigates.
Meanwhile Saab Denmark will collaborate with Babcock on the development and integration of shipborne communications systems for the Arrowhead platforms.
The firm hopes the partnerships will strengthen the case for the Royal Danish Navy to select the AH140 for its new frigates. The design is also used as the basis for the Miecznik frigate programme in Poland, and the Merah Putih programme in Indonesia.
- You can read more details on the Babcock website
