Babcock International Group has announced a significant new initiative, ARMOR Force, designed to support the Royal Navy’s strategic objective of integrating autonomous systems into the future fleet. This development signals a clear direction for UK maritime technology and presents new opportunities for the defence supply chain. The ARMOR Force, standing for Autonomous and Remote, Maritime Operational Response – Force, is an architecture that enables independent and networked operations between crewed and uncrewed platforms, unified by advanced digital capabilities.
Central to the plan is the transformation of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates into Common Command Vessels (CCV). This enhancement will allow the frigates to command and control a distributed network of large autonomous vessels, directly supporting the Royal Navy’s operational concepts for anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and strike missions in the Atlantic. The initiative is a direct response to the First Sea Lord’s call for a technologically advanced “Hybrid Navy.”
To deliver this capability, Babcock has formed key partnerships with industry leaders. HII, the largest military shipbuilder in the United States, will provide its ROMULUS family of large Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs). These vessels are engineered for long-endurance, open-ocean autonomy and are designed for rapid production. Babcock will contribute by designing and manufacturing the handling system required to embark and disembark its modular Persistent Operational Deployment Systems (PODS) onto the ROMULUS USVs, enabling rapid mission reconfiguration.
The crucial autonomy and mission orchestration layer will be provided by UK-based defence technology company, Arondite. Its Cobalt Operating System will integrate the crewed and uncrewed assets into a unified fleet, commandable from sea or shore. The collaboration aims to have an autonomous mission system deployable by the end of 2026.
This entire architecture is being built on open commercial and NATO standards, ensuring interoperability with allied forces and creating a predictable framework for subcontractors and technology suppliers. Development will be centred at Babcock’s Rosyth facility, leveraging its digital dockyard and expertise in mission systems integration and remote operations. For the UK defence industry, ARMOR Force represents a major step in naval innovation, creating clear opportunities for businesses specialising in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, modular payloads, and systems integration to contribute to the Royal Navy’s future capabilities.
