Defence Online

Serco awarded Maritime Services contracts valued at over £1Bn to support Royal Navy 

Maritime June 3, 2025

Serco, the international provider of critical government services, has been awarded three contracts with a combined value of over £1Bn by the UK Ministry of Defence to provide maritime services for the Royal Navy. The contracts, which replace existing services and expand into new capabilities will commence later this year.

Serco has been a key partner to the Royal Navy for nearly 30 years, providing critical services supporting military training exercises, trialling new maritime technology and assisting the movements of Royal Navy ships in and out of harbour.

The three awarded contracts are:

• A contract valued at c.£850m over ten years for the delivery of in-port services for HMNB Devonport in Plymouth, HMNB Portsmouth and for the Clyde, including HMNB Faslane.  ​This includes the procurement of 24 new vessels on behalf of the Royal Navy which will be brought into service over the next decade to modernise the fleet and replace the older vessels currently operated. Services will include ​vessel towage, passenger transfer, and barge and tank cleaning services at Portsmouth and Devonport.
• A contract valued at c.£70m over five years for the provision of inshore support to military training and exercises at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation (BUTEC), an underwater military test and evaluation range off the northwest coast of Scotland and for Diver Training Support.  In addition, the contract includes new work for Range Safety and Aircrew Training, which we will deliver in partnership with Briggs Marine.
• A ten-year contract valued at c.£110m for the provision of offshore support to military training and exercises.  This service includes two specialist ocean-going vessels for regional and worldwide support.

Commenting on the contract awards, Anthony Kirby, Serco Group Chief Executive, said: “We are proud to have been awarded these three contracts and to have the privilege of continuing to provide critical operational services to the Royal Navy. These awards further strengthen our position in the defence market, where we provide deep expertise around the world.

“We have been performing these duties to an extremely high standard for the last 28 years and we now have the opportunity to modernise the fleet of support vessels to ensure that the Navy has the support it requires, day in, day out, to enable it to keep our waters safe.”

This win is the latest in a series of defence contract wins globally by Serco. These include:

• Armed Forces Recruitment Service – a £1 bn, ten year contract (rising to £1.5 bn if all extensions are exercised) to run a joint recruitment service for all UK military personnel
• A new contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers to manage the modernisation of the back-up electrical plant at the US Space Force’s Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.  The contract’s estimated value is around $320m
• A $96m agreement to provide technical services to modernise the US Navy’s guided missile frigates and ship systems
• As part of a consortium, providing key maintenance services to the Belgian and Dutch mine-countermeasure fleets
• A $247m contract to support soldier readiness and performance within the US Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness System
• A $97m contract to provide programme management and business improvement support to NAVSEA, the US Naval Sea Systems Command, at four US naval shipyards
• A five year contract to provide ship support services for the Royal Navy’s XV Patrick Blackett.

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Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.