Babcock Team 31 is poised to welcome a host of industrial specialists to its second Type 31e Suppliers’ Conference in Bristol – building on growing interest in its T31e bid.
Following on from the first conference in Rosyth – which saw the official unveiling of the proposed Arrowhead 140 design and a tour of Babcock’s Rosyth facility for delegates – Team 31 is meeting with supply chain companies to share the potential export opportunities that the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) new £1.25bn Type 31e general purpose light frigate programme could provide for organisations throughout the UK and in future.
The Bristol Suppliers’ Conference, hosted by the Society of Maritime Industries, will provide a platform for SMEs and supply chains to network with Team 31 representatives, and to find out more about how their specific expertise could be utilised across the programme.
Committed to developing a genuine UK wide supply chain Babcock Team 31’s proposal, if selected, will invigorate shipbuilding, procurement and support service priorities, thus helping to deliver UK prosperity.
Craig Lockhart, Babcock’s Managing Director and naval marine, said: “The Babcock Team 31 Suppliers’ Conference series is an important step in the development of our bid as we grow our already extensive supply chain and reach out to Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.
“Arrowhead 140 develops a proven design that will meet the requirements of modern, global navies and it’s a product the supply chain is already showing enthusiasm to support and deliver for UK and international customers.
“We are looking forward to welcoming a wide range of companies to the event which has again attracted a high level of interest due to our distributed build and support approach."
Backed by British engineering heritage, Babcock Team 31’s programme outlines a proven, capable and adaptable solution – which will meet the requirements of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS) – and offers full adaptability and customisation for domestic and international customers. By optimising established distributed build methods, the group will utilise its individual and combined expertise to deliver a programme ensured to meet the needs of any modern navy.
Babcock Team 31 is led by Babcock and includes Thales, OMT, BMT, Ferguson Marine and Harland and Wolff.
Further details at www.arrowhead140.com.