Engineering and Systems Integration Overview

Babcock is a leading UK platform-build and systems integrator across defence and security markets, striving to improve protection, connectivity and sustainability of critical services. 

Across the UK we have design, test, and manufacture facilities with automotive engineering expertise in the Midlands and a specialist freeport zone in Plymouth.

Our engineering and systems integration team manufacture more than 1000 vehicles per year across the two sites and provide armour integration for protected mobility and civilian armoured vehicles.

We work with component suppliers to enhance powertrain, suspension and braking solutions in battlefield scenarios. We also work with a range of strategic partners to develop our existing Babcock vehicle engineering capability, targeting the opportunities presented by the Land Industrial Strategy and wider international export markets. Notably, the contract awarded with Supacat to build the ‘Jackal’ vehicle for the British Army demonstrates our armoured integration for protected mobility.

Platform build and integration

• The design, integration and through-life support of a family of connected combat, support and surveillance vehicles
• Long Range Fires and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance (C4ISTAR) systems integration
• System engineering and General Vehicle Architecture
• Repowering solution to convert platforms from diesel to electric
• Strategic relationships to deliver Land Industrial Strategy on behalf of UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)
• Growing export and license opportunities

Specialist Vehicle Conversions

• 5x certified armour solutions
• First to market with new Toyota L300 conversion
• Produced >80% of all UK Government armoured vehicles
• Exclusive stocking agreement with Toyota
• Complex overt emergency vehicles; automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), traffic cars, armed response units, public order vehicles
• Integration of discreet vehicle communications and data systems
• System integration of ANPR, facial recognition, movement tracking and video transmission and recording

Toyota Land Cruiser

With 15 years’ experience of building armoured Land Cruisers, in 2022 we were first to market with a Land Crusier 300 (LC300) armour solution.

As well as the first whole-vehicle tested solution, the LC300 also achieved:

• First certified 2m side blast
• First PAS300:2018 certification
• First STANAG 4569 compliant solution

We now deliver over 120,000 labour hours of armoured car production annually and over 80% of all government armoured vehicles across the defence and security markets. We also have a team of international engineers that have supported armoured vehicles overseas for over 30 years; from routine maintenance to fleet-wide protection and communication upgrades.

Jackal

Together with Supacat, we’ve been contracted to deliver High Mobility Transporters (HMT 400 series) to the MOD. Named ‘Jackal’ by the British Army, the HMT 400 series is a versatile platform with unparalleled cross-country performance and is also in service internationally across Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Estonia.

The contract is delivered between Supacat’s manufacturing facilities and our Devonport production site in Plymouth. The programme shows how British industry can work collaboratively to rapidly respond to defence requirements and deliver against short timescales.