Defence Security

DE&S awards five providers nine contracts to support 3,000 military and police boats

Posted 27 March 2026

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), part of the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) National Armaments Director Group, has awarded £283.5 million worth of contracts to maintain and support approximately 3,000 boats across the UK Armed Forces and MoD Police, creating and safeguarding over 100 skilled jobs across England, Scotland and Wales.

Image courtesy DE&S

Nine contracts under the Boats In-Service Support programme (BISS26) have been awarded to five suppliers: Babcock, Serco and three UK small and medium-sized enterprises in Golden Arrow Marine, UK Docks and Griffon Marine Ltd.

The BISS26 contract holders are:

Golden Arrow Marine (Lot 1)
UK Docks (Lots 2, 3 and 6)
Griffon (Lots 4 and 8)
Babcock (Lots 5 and 9)
Serco (Lot 7)

Contracts run from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2033.

The contracts support the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, MoD Police and training programmes including the Combined Cadet Force and Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre.

The boats perform a wide range of operational tasks from policing and boarding operations to supporting the UK's Continuous At-Sea Deterrent.

The contracts will create and safeguard more than 100 roles across the UK, including apprenticeships, engineering positions, manufacturing and maritime support functions. UK Docks alone will reopen two docks on Teesside and support redevelopment at Victoria Quays in Gosport, with further work planned in Plymouth, Cornwall and across the North-east.

Additional activity near major naval bases at Portsmouth, Devonport, Clyde and Gibraltar will strengthen UK industrial resilience over the long term.

Pete Lagden, Team Leader for the DE&S Boats Team, said: "BISS26 delivers critical capabilities to the UK Armed Forces on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. These contracts ensure the continued availability of around 3,000 boats – assets that are essential for everything from patrolling and interception to supporting the Continuous At-Sea Deterrent. Awarding contracts to five providers, including three UK SMEs, reflects our commitment to supporting British industry and contributing to national prosperity."

This investment directly supports the Defence Industrial Strategy and the Government's Plan for Change mission to kickstart economic growth, raising living standards and creating good jobs in every part of the United Kingdom.

Adam Egeland-Jensen MBE, Royal Navy Boats In-Service Capability Manager, said: "BISS26 is a fantastic example of the ongoing strong collaboration between Defence and UK industry can deliver. Working with five partners, including well established SMEs, we have secured the capability our people need — from day-to-day maritime operations to supporting the Continuous At-Sea Deterrent. With at least £250 million flowing exclusively through UK-owned businesses, this is something DE&S and MoD should be genuinely proud of. It also puts us in a very strong position to work with new partners on identifying the capabilities we will need for the future beyond 2033."

Family-run UK Docks has been awarded three of the nine contracts manufacturing workboats and providing support to the Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and MoD Police. Jonathan Wilson, Managing Director, UK Docks, said: “This is fantastic news for the company and our staff, who have been building a reputation for successfully servicing MoD contracts for a number of years. All three contracts are related to specific classes of MoD boats with specific end users and will provide a sustained demand for our workforce for at least five years, possibly seven.

“They will safeguard existing jobs, create new ones, and ensure an important part of the defence sector benefits UK businesses and organisations. We’re very proud to be part of a marine industry that has shown that the necessary skills and expertise can be provided by a British company and British workforce and we’re looking forward to delivering the highest standards of service and maintenance.”

Phil Craig, Managing Director of Marine Programmes, Babcock, said: “Babcock has supported the UK Ministry of Defence for many years and our role in sustaining the capability, readiness and availability of the Royal Navy's assets remains critical.

"Securing the contracts for the P2000 Coastal Force vessels and the training boats used to develop officer cadets reflects the trust placed in our people and the deep expertise we’ve built in delivering through life support to Defence.

"These platforms play a vital part in preparing the next generation of naval leaders and supporting activity around our coastline. We are proud to contribute to that mission, and we look forward to working closely with our partners to continue delivering the high standards of service that the Royal Navy depends on.”

Mark Downer, CEO, Griffon Marine, said: “The award of this contract underlines Griffon Marine’s market-leading credentials within the small boat sector and reflects the trust placed in us by the Ministry of Defence. It demonstrates that our team’s dedication, innovation and commitment are consistently delivering world-class solutions in support of the UK’s Armed Forces.”

Paul Dean, Director of Business Development at Golden Arrow Marine, said: “Golden Arrow Marine is proud to have secured an element of the BISS26 contract for the UK Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) team, to provide in-service support for UK Strategic Command boats. This award reflects the strength of our capabilities and our commitment to supporting the UK’s defence maritime infrastructure. We look forward to commencing our support from April 2026 and working closely with the MoD to ensure these vital assets continue to be maintained to the highest standards.

“Securing this contract has already created 12 new roles within our newly established Golden Arrow Technologies division and sustained a further 10 positions, supporting our continued growth and long-term commitment to the UK and global defence and security sector.”

Anthony Kirby, Serco Group plc Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are proud to be supporting this specialised fleet of marine assets, which are vital for operational and strategic effectiveness and personnel deployments on coastal or near-shore environments on behalf of the British Army and the Ministry of Defence’s Boats Team."

James Melia, DE&S Boats Acquisition Lead, said: "These boats are essential enablers for multiple military users and the new contracts ensure that our crews will continue to rely on safe and dependable equipment. We are proud to be investing in British companies, British workers and British skills."

Kirsty Edwards, DE&S Project Manager, said: "It's been a challenging and fast paced project but the team's strong ethic has enabled us to deliver on time, to budget and to quality requirements, maintaining over 90% availability for our end users throughout."