https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/us-t...s-in-scotland/
US taps Babcock to build parts for Virginia subs in Scotland
HII and Babcock have signed a new contract that will see major sections of US Virginia-class submarines built in Scotland, deepening industrial links between the two countries and broadening the AUKUS supply base.
The deal authorises Babcock to manufacture complex submarine assemblies for Virginia-class Block VI boats at its Rosyth yard. The companies cast the move as a step that strengthens production resilience and expands the number of suppliers trusted to handle high-tolerance submarine structures.
HII’s chief executive Chris Kastner said the agreement marks “a significant next step in delivering on our joint commitment to enhance both organisations’ capabilities, for the benefit of U.S. and U.K. programs.” He added that “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.”
The companies have been widening their cooperation since 2023, including work on nuclear decommissioning, the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification programme and unmanned underwater systems. At DSEI, they signed a separate MoU combining HII’s REMUS UUVs with Babcock’s launch systems to pursue torpedo-tube deployment options for autonomous systems.
Taken together, the steps indicate a coordinated effort to fuse US, UK and Australian industrial capacity for undersea programmes where the production pipeline is under strain and demand is rising.