Babcock Australasia has secured a $42 million extension to its Counter Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (C-CBRNE) asset management contract, a program that involves the sustainment, integration and support of specialised equipment supplied through Australian-based industry partners.
According to Babcock Australasia, the three-year extension will run through to 2030 and continues its role in supporting force protection and threat response capabilities for the Australian Defence Force.
The agreement marks the continuation of a collaboration that has now entered its second decade and is intended to ensure Defence personnel have access to maintained and serviceable C-CBRNE equipment used across both conventional and special forces.
The C-CBRNE program covers 132 asset types and around 65,000 individual pieces of equipment, including explosive ordnance disposal suits, chemical and explosive analysers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance robots, remote detonation equipment and x-ray systems.
Babcock reported that over the past six years it has achieved full compliance across all categories of the Defence Supplier Rating System on the contract.
Babcock said delivery of the program is supported by a network of specialist supply chain partners and in-country agents, including EPE, J37, Aquaterro and Warsash Scientific.
The company stated that 97 per cent of its current core contract spend is directed to these suppliers, which it said supports local manufacturing capability, equipment sustainment and technical services within Australia.
Since entering into a Prime Vendor agreement with Defence in 2019, Babcock said the scope and output of the C-CBRNE program has increased by more than 400 per cent.
The company attributed this growth to work with Defence and industry partners to address capability gaps linked to technology obsolescence and to source new C-CBRNE tools.
Babcock Australasia Mission and Support Systems Managing Director Richard Udall said the extension reflected the importance of continuity in capability support.
“This extension ensures Defence personnel continue to benefit from a trusted, long-term industry partner,” Udall said.
“From protective suits to ISR robots, the assets under our management safeguard those who serve. By working alongside Defence, we help ensure capabilities are ready when frontline personnel need them most – staying ahead of emerging threats and closing critical gaps,” he said.
Udall added that the renewed agreement has implications for Australian industry participation. “With the majority of contract spend directed to Australian suppliers, it enables deeper investment in local industry, expanding our network of small and medium enterprises to deliver new acquisitions and refinements that enhance Defence capability,” he said.
