The Royal Navy operates a number of vital UK assets of which long-term integrity and maintenance is key to their continued operational availability. The Royal Navy has an immediate and enduring requirement to address key problem challenges. This includes increasing the operational uptime of its assets and reducing dry-docking periods by adopting and adapting existing in-water inspection, maintenance and repair practices used in other sectors.

Three separate Calls for Innovation will be launched over the course of 2022 focused on different inspection and repair capabilities. Call one launches in June 2022, with the dates for calls two and three being announced later in the year. All calls are open to Global Underwater Hub members and non-members.

Companies with an interest in working with the Royal Navy and Babcock – the Navy’s preferred industrial partner – are invited to take part in the calls. The programme allows companies to showcase how their inspection, maintenance and repair technologies can be applied on in-water tanks, hull structures, pressure vessels and pipework to address strategic requirements across the naval fleet.

Companies that are successful and meet the requirements set out in each call will have the opportunity to work closely with the Royal Navy and Babcock to qualify and deploy their technology to maximise the effectiveness of in-water engineering and maintenance operations.

The Royal Navy is looking to employ proven, modern technologies and methodologies to improve its routine inspection activities. In-water inspections are currently performed either by air divers or ROVs on a variety of steel pressure vessels, tanks, pipework, pipe fittings and structural members.

The Royal Navy seeks to increase the volume of in-water inspections to satisfy through-life integrity management requirements traditionally undertaken by visual inspection in a dry dock facility. In turn, it aims to increase assets’ operational availability, reduce human intervention and dry-docking durations. Further details about the challenges typically faced during in-water inspections are contained in the Call for Innovation 1 overview.

If your company has the relevant experience, skills and technologies which could be utilised by the Royal Navy and Babcock in the defence sector for this call.

After registering your interest below, you will be asked to submit an Expression of Interest form that details the technologies and processes outlined in your approach to the workscope. Registered companies will be invited to attend a webinar where the Royal Navy and Babcock will be available to explain their operating environment and challenges.

The Expression of Interest submission will then be technically reviewed by the Royal Navy, Babcock and the Global Underwater Hub before being progressed to the next stage of the process.