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The owner of Birkenhead's historic shipyard has said it 'stands ready to help deliver what Britain needs' following the government's announcement of a £15bn defence investment plan.
Balaena Birkenhead, formerly known as Cammell Laird, welcomed the Defence Investment Plan announced on 30 June, describing it as an important step towards rebuilding Britain's maritime industrial capability, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the plan does not affect existing MoD contracts and sub-contracts held by the Merseyside shipyard.
The shipyard underwent a £150m takeover last month and was renamed from Cammell Laird to Balaena Birkenhead.
Balaena Group chief executive Simon Gillett told the publication that "Birkenhead has one of the richest shipbuilding and marine engineering traditions anywhere in the world." He said the announcement showed Britain needs strong capabilities in industrial areas "to strengthen national security."
He added that Balena "fully supports" the government's Defence Investment Plan.
Mr Gillett continued, "Our Merseyside workforce combines generations of experience with modern engineering expertise. We are an agile organisation capable of responding quickly to the needs of the Royal Navy and delivering complex programmes efficiently."
He also stated that investing in defence is paramount to investing in communities. The investment supports different means such as apprenticeships, local businesses, manufacturing jobs, and "long-term economic growth".
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo ahead of the announcement on 15 June, Mr Gillett said the company has senior former Royal Navy personnel on its board to maintain relationships with the military. He described grey ships and the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels as "absolutely key to success", while emphasising the need to balance defence work with commercial contracts.
The Defence Investment Plan has seen some observers note a shift in military priorities, including more investment in drone technology and less on traditional shipbuilding. Plans to replace the Royal Navy's ageing Type 45 destroyers with the Type 83 have been shelved.
Balaena said the government's announcement demonstrates renewed confidence in British shipbuilding and provides long-term opportunities for Merseyside's skilled workforce and supply chain. The company will be entitled to bid for future contracts arising from the Hybrid Navy vision outlined in the plan, the Echo reported.
