Babcock Advances Anglo-Danish Naval Cooperation With New Agreements

Babcock has taken a significant step forward in the company's partnership with Danish industry through a number of major agreements unveiled at DALO Industry Days, strengthening cooperation across the maritime defence sector.

Babcock has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Danish technology companies, STORMBORN and CUBEDIN, to examine future hybrid naval capabilities and the integration of autonomous systems – supporting the vision for a hybrid Danish fleet in which crewed ships and unmanned systems operate together.

A third MOU was also signed at DALO Industry Days between Babcock and SH Group, which will explore collaboration on ship and naval platform systems to further strengthen the UK-Denmark offering and maximise Danish industry involvement on platforms for and exported from Denmark.

The agreements come as navies worldwide adapt to a changing character of warfare. The UK Royal Navy has committed to a Hybrid Navy – crewed warships commanding dispersed, AI-enabled autonomous systems – as its way ahead. These partnerships intend to help develop and deliver the potential Hybrid Navy capabilities, in collaboration with the Royal Danish Navy for the wider Danish defence ecosystem. 

Sir Nick Hine, Chief Growth Officer, Babcock International said:

“The relationship between Babcock and Denmark is built on shared maritime heritage, trusted defence cooperation and world-class engineering. The Arrowhead 140 is a powerful example of that partnership, taking the proven Danish Iver Huitfeldt design and developing it into a successful international frigate programme.

“At a time when European security challenges demand closer cooperation between allies, these agreements strengthen an industrial relationship that can deliver capability, jobs and long-term value for both nations.”

Frederik Søndergaard Hansen, Founder and CEO of STORMBORN, added:

“Building a Hybrid Navy to combat the threats of today and tomorrow requires innovative solutions, system interoperability and rapid production at scale. STORMBORN’s cooperation with Babcock gives us an opportunity to explore how our uncrewed technology can be integrated in larger naval programmes and create new capabilities for Denmark and our allies.”

Danny Ingemann, CUBEDIN CEO, said:

“Future naval operations require crewed and uncrewed systems to work closely together. Through this cooperation with Babcock, we will explore how standardised physical and digital interfaces can simplify the integration of mission systems and autonomous capabilities, enabling a more flexible and adaptable fleet. We look forward to combining our integration expertise with Babcock’s platform and naval engineering experience.”

Kaare Vang Jensen, CEO, SH Group, said:

“The signing of this MOU with Babcock International Group marks a significant milestone for SH Defence, part of SH Group, and reinforces our commitment to delivering innovative and modular mission solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern naval operations. 

“We see great potential in partnering with Babcock International Group, whose global reach, engineering excellence, and deep understanding of naval capability align closely with our own ambitions. Together, we look forward to strengthening the supply chain and supporting the Royal Danish Navy with adaptable, future-focused capabilities, while strengthening defence industrial cooperation on an international scale.”

The agreements reflect the enduring relationship between the UK and Denmark, two seafaring nations with deep historic ties, shared democratic values and a long-standing commitment to collective security.

As founding NATO allies, both nations work closely across NATO operations, the Joint Expeditionary Force, support to Ukraine, and security activities in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. Against a backdrop of increasing geopolitical uncertainty, closer defence industrial cooperation is becoming ever more important.