DEFENCE contractor Serco today marks 25 years of support to the Royal Navy, at ports including HMNB Devonport and Falmouth.

In 1996, Serco Denholm took responsibility for In-Port services from the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS) and then in 2007, Serco was awarded a 15-year contract with the Ministry of Defence for the Provision of Marine Services (PMS).

Today, the organisation operates nearly 100 vessels ranging in length from 11m to 93m and from 12 to 3,600 gross tonnes.

A team of 600 skilled mariners provides services at six sites across the UK from Faslane to Falmouth as well as overseas.

Commenting on the anniversary, Rob Hales, Serco’s Maritime and Aviation Capability Director, said, “We are incredibly proud of our 25 years of service. We have a fantastic team of people, many of whom are veterans themselves and have longstanding connections to the national maritime community.

“We provide an extraordinary level of service to the Royal Navy, delivering over 99% of tasks on time under some very demanding conditions. We look forward to continuing this support for many years to come.”

Serco provides a wide range of services from towing submarines, to trialling cutting-edge maritime technology, ferrying passengers, supporting military training exercises, and the provision and maintenance of buoys and moorings.

At the start of the PMS contract in 2007, Serco inherited an aging legacy fleet with some vessels being over 30 years old and in need of modernisation or replacement. The contract included a vessel replacement programme with the procurement, build and introduction into service of 29 new vessels, which Serco built with Damen. The new build programme was complemented by conversion and upgrade of existing vessels.

Serco says it has also continued to drive new and innovative solutions to meet changing demands, often researching and adapting technology from the wider maritime industry to create tailored solutions for the Royal Navy.

Serco has been part of many significant milestones in the Royal Navy’s history during the last 25 years. Recent highlights include: -

• The procurement of its newest and most powerful tug, SD TEMPEST, which was specifically procured to support the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carriers – SD Tempest was the first Advanced Rotortug® to be built for a UK based customer;

• Participation in the 2019 celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Continuous at Sea Deterrent

(CASD50) and our support to submarines in the Clyde, with many Serco employees receiving long

service awards.

• The UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG21) deployment, which was the culmination of years of hard work in preparation.

Looking forward to the next 25 years, Serco’s Maritime Services team says it’s committed to working closely with customers and stakeholders to support local and national agendas for diversity and inclusion, Carbon Net Zero, and the future of maritime careers. It’s recently signed the Mental Health in Maritime Pledge, as well as actively participating in the Women in Defence

Mentoring Programme. Through a close working relationship with Maritime UK, the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Solent Maritime Enterprise Zone (MEZ), Serco is working to raise awareness of maritime career opportunities and encourage young people to embark on a career in this fascinating sector (including in their own Apprenticeship scheme for Deck and Engineering apprentices).