By Newell Durnbrooke
For over a decade, Babcock has been committed to developing innovative and effective solutions across all of the sectors they support in Canada, including vital programs such as the Victoria-Class In-Service Support Contract (VISSC), and through their work in civil aviation and civil nuclear energy. As a recognized leader in engineering support solutions in Canada and around the globe, Babcock continues to introduce new technologies and methodologies to the market.
In an interview with Matthew Crawley, Vice President Commercial for Babcock, Esprit de Corps delves into how the business continues to support their customers and partners, now and into the future.
Ongoing Support to the Victoria-Class Submarines
For the past 12 years, Babcock has been working alongside the Royal Canadian Navy, Federal Government, and their industry partners to sustain Canada’s fleet of Victoria-Class submarines. Over the lifetime of the VISSC program, Babcock has demonstrated their considerable expertise and global experience, while delivering outstanding economic benefits to Canada.
According to Mr. Crawley, “often we talk in terms of technical capability and status of vessel refits, but it is interesting when we talk about the contribution of the program to the Canadian economy. To understand the impact, we commissioned an independent study which found that over 2,000 Canadian jobs are maintained annually through our team and our many supply chain partners working on VISSC across Canada.” The study also found that the VISSC program has contributed over $2 billion in GDP impact since 2008, and is now supported by over 450 domestic supply chain partners. This Canadian supply chain capability is so important for programs such as VISSC, and Canada, to have a domestic capability to support the Royal Canadian Navy. Babcock has worked hard since the contract’s inception to develop the in-country capability to deliver on the contract and to provide and maintain quality jobs for Canadians.
Mr. Crawley also mentioned that it has taken over a decade for Babcock and the program to get to where they are today, which has been an investment by Canada and Babcock to establish and grow the Victoria-Class Canadian support capability. He believes that the substantial experience and expertise Babcock brings to the table will help the Canadian Government be successful in their continued sustainment efforts.
Introducing Team Victoria-Class
Since 2008, Babcock has been partnering with Seaspan Victoria Shipyards and BMT, who have played essential roles in supporting the submarine sustainment capability the team currently delivers. Recently, Babcock announced that moving forward this Canadian partnership would be referred to as ‘Team Victoria-Class’.
Doubling down on their winning strategy, this team is now also a qualified bidder for the follow-on contract, VISSC II. This program will provide Canada with an opportunity to further enhance its established submarine sustainment expertise and ensure the Royal Canadian Navy’s fleet of Victoria-Class submarines receives world-class support through to end-of-life.
“Babcock is proud of its collaborative relationship with its partners, as well as with the Canadian Government, in establishing an exceptional domestic submarine sustainment capability,” Mr. Crawley noted, “no one else has the same breadth and depth of Canadian submarine sustainment experience as Team-Victoria Class. The team is committed to providing the lowest risk solution that will build on the investments and learning that have been established over the last decade.”
He also observed that it takes an abundance of experience to support the submarines, there is a lot of effort and expertise that goes in to understanding this niche area of the industry. Providing in-service support to these assets requires collaboration, and a team that’s committed to growing and building the industry as a whole.
Babcock is also bringing new, innovative technology solutions to VISSC II, including the digitally enabled asset management approaches they are developing and deploying into the current VISSC Mr. Crawley highlighted Babcock’s iSupport360 approach to complex asset management, which couples the expertise of Babcock with an innovative suite of digital applications to support better decision making, increasing asset availability and decreasing the total cost of ownership. The current suite of tools, developed specifically for the Victoria class submarines, provide important insights to the submarine program in an interactive and visual format. For example, the tools provide for program planning across the class, integrated with individual platform material state, system margin analysis and supply chain information. These tools are available through a secure access environment to its Canadian government customers. More enhancements to the suite of iSupport360 offerings are in the planning.
Upcoming Opportunities
Babcock’s international marine portfolio also includes support to surface ships around the world, and they hope to bring this experience to the Minor Warships and Auxiliary Vessels Support Contract IV (MWAV IV). MWAV IV will provide a range of In-Service Support capabilities including program management, service delivery, LCMM, Logistics, Information and Data Management, Quality and Engineering Services for 70+ vessels and auxiliaries in Canada and deployed. Babcock is a prequalified bidder in a Joint Venture with Babcock Marine Rosyth Limited (BMRL), which brings a great deal of global experience with a focus on local delivery.
Babcock continues to pursue opportunities to support Canadian defence programs in areas outside of the marine sector. On the horizon is the Future Aircrew Training program (FAcT), which will provide military flying training and support to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Babcock’s aviation experience spans 14 different countries globally, and Mr. Crawley believes that what has been learned in these other jurisdictions can be directly applied within Canada’s borders. Their solution will incorporate a truly agnostic approach to procurement with global expertise and proven delivery capability to deliver a customized, Canadian solution.
Focus on Collaborative Relationships
Working safely within the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Babcock is committed to delivering on both its military and civil contracts. According to Mr. Crawley, one of the company’s core values is the positive, collaborative relationships it fosters with its customers. This is reflected through Babcock’s relationship with the Canadian Government, and the way in which the company provides service and engages in industry consultations to strengthen relationships and meet the needs of its clients. Babcock continues to work through COVID-19 restrictions, but their teams remain committed to delivering reliably and safely for their partners, customers, and the communities where they operate.
