Defence secretary announces £1bn deal to boost Royal Navy at Conservative Party conference

The Royal Navy is set to benefit from a £1bn boost, the defence secretary announced this morning.
Sir Michael Fallon announced a new 1bn deal to help keep the Royal Navy fleet out at sea.Sir Michael Fallon announced a new 1bn deal to help keep the Royal Navy fleet out at sea.
Sir Michael Fallon announced a new 1bn deal to help keep the Royal Navy fleet out at sea.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Sir Michael Fallon announced a new support deal with the aim to allow the country's warships to spend greater time at sea.

He said that the £1bn worth of contracts agreed under a new common support model (CSM) would assist and help maintain the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers, the Royal Navy's existing warships and the forthcoming Type 26 and Type 31 frigates.

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Sir Fallon said: 'This new deal will support the Royal Navy as we prepare to welcome two huge new aircraft carriers, two new classes of frigates and new support ships.

'We are growing the Royal Navy and ensuring that our warships will spend more time out at sea defending Britain's interests.

'As threats intensify, only under the Conservatives will Britain be a global leader in defence and by investing in our armed forces through our rising defence budget we are helping keeping people safe at home while working with allies abroad.'

The contract is hoped to support a thousands jobs across the country including Portsmouth.

SO WHAT HAS BEEN SIGNED?

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- Four £230m contracts for marine systems support partner with Babcock, which will pay for spares, repairs and technical services for the Type 45 destroyers and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

- A £200m contract with BAE Systems to support combat management systems, tactical networks and shared infrastructures aboard 38 naval platforms, including Type 23 frigates, Type 45 destroyers and the QEC carriers.

- Two contracts worth £150m for amendments to the maritime support delivery framework with BAE Systems and Babcock to ensure continuing support of the naval surface fleet.

- A £100m contract for internal and external communications systems support with Thales for fleet-wide communications support, including long-term support for the QEC carriers and Type 45 destroyers.

- A £12m contract to support aircrafts on board ships.

- A £12m contract for ships' protective systems.