Serco awarded MoD maritime services contracts to support RN

The Damen-built tug SD Tempest joined the Serco maritime services fleet in 2017. Tempest was purchased specifically to support the movement of the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers in and out of Portsmouth. (Richard Scott/Navypix)

Support services group Serco has been awarded a triumvirate of UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contracts to provide maritime services for the Royal Navy (RN).

Announced by the company on 15 May, the three contracts – which will replace existing services and deliver new capabilities – aggregate to a value of over GBP1 billion (USD1.33 billion). Contracted service delivery will start later in 2025.

The largest of the three contracts, worth around GBP850 million over a 10-year period, covers the provision of in-port services for HM Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport in Plymouth, HMNB Portsmouth, and HMNB Clyde in Faslane. Services will include vessel towage, passenger transfer, and barge and tank cleaning services at Portsmouth and Devonport.

According to Serco, the scope of this contract includes the procurement of 24 new vessels on behalf of the RN. These will be brought into service over the next decade to modernise the fleet and replace the older vessels currently being operated.

The second contract, valued at around GBP110 million, is a 10-year deal for the provision of offshore support to military training and exercises. This service includes two specialist ocean-going vessels – SD Victoria and SD Northern River – which are tasked by the RN for regional and worldwide operations support.