Babcock International has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with a trio of Danish firms to complement the pitch of its Arrowhead 140 frigate design to the Royal Danish Navy.
It has also signed a Letter of Collaboration (LoC) with Danish industrial consortium DFS to develop a joint UK-Danish industrial approach to any potential order for the new frigates.
The agreements were struck this week at the DALO Industry Days, the largest annual defence industry exhibition in Scandinavia, held annually in Denmark and hosted by the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO).
Babcock signed two MoUs with Danish technology companies Stormborn and Cubedin focusing on hybrid naval capabilities and autonomous systems integration.
Stormborn has bases in London and Denmark and designs and operates autonomous uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) including its X-Wave platform, an anti-capsize drone designed to operate continuously at sea for up to 365 days at a time.
Cubedin specialises in integration software and standardised hardware interfaces to enable true modular capabilities via containerised “cubes” of equipment including sonars, radars, and weapons systems.
A third MoU was signed with SH Group with a view to collaborating on ship and naval platform systems. The Svendborg-based engineering and manufacturing company was founded in 1974 and specialises in maritime hydraulic, mechanical, and electric systems.
All three will bolster Anglo-Danish defence links as Babcock pitches its AH 140 Arrowhead ship design — the same base platform as the British Royal Navy’s forthcoming Type 31 warships — as the right choice for Denmark’s future frigate programme.
The LoC with Danske Flådeskibe K/S aligns Babcock with the DFS group, conceived to provide an integrated sovereign solution for the design, construction and through-life support of future RDN warships. It takes in OMT Group, Terma, PensionDanmark and Semco Maritime.
Denmark is planning to buy three to four new frigates to replace its Iver Huitfeldt-class air defence ships; a final decision on the chosen ship design and strategic partner is expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
Babcock’s Chief Growth Officer Sir Nick Hine said: “The relationship between Babcock and Denmark is built on shared maritime heritage, trusted defence cooperation and world-class engineering. The Arrowhead 140 is a powerful example of that partnership, taking the proven Danish Iver Huitfeldt design and developing it into a successful international frigate programme.
“At a time when European security challenges demand closer cooperation between allies, these agreements strengthen an industrial relationship that can deliver capability, jobs and long-term value for both nations.”
Speaking separately about the LoC with DFS, he added: “We are offering Denmark far more than a ship. We are offering a genuine industrial partnership that puts Danish companies, Danish skills and Danish shipbuilding at the heart of a programme already founded on Danish innovation.”
Founder and CEO of Stormborn Frederik Søndergaard Hansen added: “Building a Hybrid Navy to combat the threats of today and tomorrow requires innovative solutions, system interoperability and rapid production at scale.
“Stormborn’s cooperation with Babcock gives us an opportunity to explore how our uncrewed technology can be integrated in larger naval programmes and create new capabilities for Denmark and our allies.”
Cubedin CEO Danny Ingemann said: “Future naval operations require crewed and uncrewed systems to work closely together. Through this cooperation with Babcock, we will explore how standardised physical and digital interfaces can simplify the integration of mission systems and autonomous capabilities, enabling a more flexible and adaptable fleet.”
And SH Group CEO Kaare Vang Jensen added: “The signing of this MoU with Babcock International Group marks a significant milestone for SH Defence, part of SH Group, and reinforces our commitment to delivering innovative and modular mission solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern naval operations.
“We see great potential in partnering with Babcock International Group, whose global reach, engineering excellence, and deep understanding of naval capability align closely with our own ambitions.
“Together, we look forward to strengthening the supply chain and supporting the Royal Danish Navy with adaptable, future-focused capabilities, while strengthening defence industrial cooperation on an international scale.”
CEO of Danske Flådeskibe Hans Schneider remarked: “For DFS, this agreement is about ensuring that Denmark’s future frigates strengthen both the Royal Danish Navy and Denmark’s sovereign industrial capability.
“Together with Babcock, we can combine an internationally recognised frigate platform and programme experience with a strong Danish set-up for building, integrating and supporting the ships throughout their service life.”
- You can read more details on the Babcock website about both the MoUs and the DFS collaboration
