HII and Babcock International Group have expanded their strategic partnership, signing a new contract that will strengthen support for Virginia-class submarine construction and increase resilience across HII’s submarine supply chain.
The agreement authorises Babcock to manufacture complex submarine assemblies for Virginia-class Block VI fast-attack submarines at its Rosyth facility in Scotland. It marks the first outsourced Virginia-class contract awarded to Babcock specifically for Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) work, broadening the number of suppliers capable of delivering large, high-precision structures for the program.
HII president and CEO Chris Kastner said the agreement is an important progression in the companies’ joint effort to bolster submarine production capacity and industrial capability. “This is a significant next step in delivering on our joint commitment to enhance both organizations’ capabilities, for the benefit of U.S. and U.K. programs,” Kastner said. “Leveraging Babcock’s reach and expertise in the U.K. will reinforce our supplier base, strengthen submarine production in the U.S., and support the trilateral AUKUS partnership.”
Babcock CEO David Lockwood said the company’s experience in advanced manufacturing and missile tube assembly has positioned it to support a broader range of components for the U.S. submarine fleet. “This expansion of our strategic partnership with HII enables us to optimize our joint capabilities for the benefit of the wider AUKUS security partnership,” he said.
HII and Babcock first formalised their strategic relationship in 2023, agreeing to collaborate on naval and civil nuclear decommissioning and construction opportunities across the U.K. and U.S. Since then, the companies have worked together across all three AUKUS nations, including on the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) program. The program is accelerating the identification and qualification of Australian suppliers for the U.S. submarine industrial base, with plans to extend to the U.K.’s Astute-class supply chain.
Earlier this year at DSEI, the companies signed a memorandum of understanding combining HII’s REMUS unmanned underwater vehicle technologies with Babcock’s submarine weapon handling and launch systems, aiming to advance torpedo tube launch and recovery capabilities for the U.K. Royal Navy and allied fleets.
Image: Chris Kastner, HII president and CEO, and Babcock CEO David Lockwood meet at HII’s corporate office in Arlington, Va. Dec. 5, 2025, to discuss current and future collaboration opportunities that could enhance technological innovations and maximize production efficiency (HII photo).
