LONDON: Serco, a leading international provider of critical government services, has been awarded three major contracts by the UK Ministry of Defence, totaling over £1 billion, to support maritime operations for the Royal Navy.
The contracts, set to commence later this year, will replace existing services and introduce new capabilities.
Serco has been a key partner to the Royal Navy for nearly three decades, providing essential support for military training exercises, technology trials, and naval vessel movements.
The largest of the awarded contracts, valued at approximately £850 million over ten years, will cover in-port services at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth, HMNB Portsmouth, and the Clyde, including HMNB Faslane. As part of the agreement, Serco will procure 24 new vessels to modernize the Royal Navy’s fleet, replacing older vessels currently in operation. The contract includes vessel towage, passenger transfer, and barge and tank cleaning services.
A second contract, valued at £70 million over five years, will provide inshore support for military training exercises at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) off the northwest coast of Scotland. The agreement also encompasses diver training support, range safety, and aircrew training services, with some operations delivered in partnership with Briggs Marine.
The third contract, worth approximately £110 million over ten years, focuses on offshore support for military training exercises. It includes the provision of two specialist ocean-going vessels for regional and worldwide operations.
Serco Group Chief Executive Anthony Kirby said the company is honored to continue providing critical support to the Royal Navy. “We have been performing these duties to an extremely high standard for the last 28 years, and now have the opportunity to modernize the fleet of support vessels to ensure the Navy has what it needs to keep our waters safe,” Kirby said.
The contracts add to Serco’s growing portfolio of defense-related work. Recent international awards include a £1 billion contract to manage the UK Armed Forces Recruitment Service, a $320 million contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers for modernization efforts at the US Space Force’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, and a $247 million agreement supporting soldier readiness under the US Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness System.