# Babcock pitches Arrowhead 140 frigate to US Navy in joint bid with Huntington Ingalls

> Babcock has confirmed it is seeking a US Navy contract to build escort ships, proposing its Arrowhead 140 frigate in a bid expected to be made.

- Published: 2026-10-25T09:51:40+00:00
- Section: Contracts & Customers
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-25/babcock-us-navy-arrowhead-140-bid
- Source: [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/25/babcock-in-push-to-build-warships-for-us-navy/)

## Key takeaways

- Babcock has confirmed it is putting itself forward for a US Navy contract to build escort ships, proposing its Arrowhead 140 general-purpose frigate.
- Sir Nick Hine, head of Babcock's marine business, said it 'would be insane for us not to respond' to the opportunity.
- Babcock has already sold the Arrowhead 140 design to Poland and is pitching it to Denmark, New Zealand, Chile and Indonesia.

[Babcock International Group](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0006k4b/babcock-international-group) has confirmed it is putting itself forward for a US Navy contract to build escort ships, proposing its Arrowhead 140 general-purpose frigate, [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/25/babcock-in-push-to-build-warships-for-us-navy/) reported. The FTSE 100 defence engineering company, which provides through-life support, shipbuilding, nuclear submarine sustainment and aviation training to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Royal Navy and allied governments, has held initial meetings with Pentagon officials in recent months.

## Babcock's Arrowhead 140 Pitch To The Pentagon

The potential bid is in the early stages and would follow an expression of interest that has to be submitted this month. Babcock did not disclose details, but any proposal is thought likely to be made jointly with Virginia-based [Huntington Ingalls Industries](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0004obk/huntington-ingalls-industries), the largest military shipbuilder in the US and an existing industrial partner of the company. The US has invited proposals for a small-to-medium warship that can act as an escort and operate independently, hunting submarines, fighting enemy surface ships and protecting convoys. A key requirement is for a proven design that can be built quickly and at volume. Other contenders are expected to include Japan's Mogami-class frigate and South Korea's Chungnam-class frigate.

Sir Nick Hine, the head of Babcock's marine business and a former second sea lord at the Royal Navy, told The Telegraph: "Of course we're interested. We have a world class frigate, close links to the US and US industry. It would be insane for us not to respond." The Trump administration published an executive order in August clearing the way for shipyards in allied countries to construct surface vessels for the US navy. Babcock's proposal could involve a transfer of intellectual property and designs to the US so that the Arrowhead 140 could be built there by American workers. The companies struck an agreement last year for Babcock to build sections of Virginia-class submarines for the US navy at its yard in Rosyth, Fife.

## Babcock's Maritime Partnerships And Scale

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Babcock signed onto a UK-Indonesia Flagship Maritime Partnership Programme in April 2026, expected to support construction of 1,500 fishing vessels in an estimated £4 billion maritime deal. The same records show FY25 revenue of £4.8 billion and a contract backlog of £10.4 billion at FY25 year end.

## Earlier Babcock Defence Partnerships

In September 2026, Babcock and Roke signed a deal to jointly pursue UK defense programs in communications, cyber, and sensors, The Defense Post reported. In August 2026, Quest Global Engineering Services Limited was appointed to Babcock's Engineering Services Framework in a five-year agreement, PR Newswire reported. In June 2026, Babcock unveiled ARMOR Force, an architecture of autonomous and remote maritime systems for the Royal Navy, partnering with HII and Arondite, the company said.

## What Comes Next For The Bid

The expression of interest has to be submitted this month, and the potential bid remains in the early stages.

## Companies in this story

- [Babcock International Group company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0006k4b/babcock-international-group) · website: https://www.babcockinternational.com
- [Huntington Ingalls Industries company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0004obk/huntington-ingalls-industries) · website: https://hii.com

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