The widespread adoption of Project TAMPA as a front-line capability for the UK’s armed forces has seen another major step forward. Ensuring that the critical services and assets of our armed forces are readily available, affordable, and long-lasting is a vital task. Overcoming the challenge of outdated and inadequate manufacturing methods has never been more important.
The Role of Additive Manufacturing in Defence
The nature of modern warfare means the need for spare parts is endless, meaning that the use of Additive Manufacturing to produce spares quickly and in-situ is potentially a game-changer. As a result, our Armed Forces and allies have access to global hubs where quality parts can be 3D-printed and rapidly dispatched or even designs securely transmitted directly to users on platforms who have the technology to print them there and then.
Project TAMPA: Enhancing the Defence Supply Chain
This is the remit of Project TAMPA, which was set up in 2021 as the MOD’s accelerator programme focused on the use of Additive Manufacturing to increase material availability across Defence supply chains, to overcome obsolescence of parts, reducing cost, and improving performance and availability to enhance defence capabilities.
Charlotte Robinson, UK Strategic Command Defence Support Innovation Team Leader, who has headed up Project TAMPA since its inception, describes the vision behind it: “There would be a series of global hubs that can rapidly print and provide assured quality parts for us and our allies. Not only could this be crucial in terms of platform availability if we did find ourselves in a conflict but brings with it a host of other benefits including quick access to spares, reduction of the need to stockpile, as well as significant cost savings and environmental benefits.”
Addressing Challenges in Military 3D Printing
The goal for those involved in Project TAMPA was supporting industry in the Defence supply chain and giving them the confidence and expertise to adopt Military 3D printing.
Charlotte said: “We quickly identified four ‘problem areas’ that needed addressing if we were to stimulate industry in adopting Additive Manufacturing at scale. Those issues were a lack of system to securely transfer print files, Intellectual Property or Design Rights, certification and qualification (of parts to ensure they’re fit for use), and robust inventory management. We set up collaborative working groups with industry to tackle these constraints in 2022, and those remain ongoing.”
DE&S set up a framework for industry, and together they delivered the first challenge or ‘spiral,’ which was to produce and fit metallic non-safety critical parts with Thales, Babcock, AMFG, NP Aerospace, and RBSL engaged in the process.
Following this, a second ‘spiral’ was launched for metallic safety-critical parts, with recent events dictating that industry offering air domain or parts for Ukraine-gifted platforms would be given priority consideration.
Babcock’s Contribution to Project TAMPA
In tandem with the ‘spirals,’ the Future Capability Innovation delivery team has supported other advanced manufacturing challenges in Defence and looked at how the holistic MOD spare-part availability and Defence supply chain obsolescence could be improved.
Babcock is one of those leading the way in pioneering Additive Manufacturing techniques to overcome obsolescence, reduce cost, improve performance, and availability to enhance our customers’ defence capabilities and critical assets.
As an innovator within the UK Defence sector, Babcock has focused on increasing its capability in the Military 3D printing of metal parts. Through innovation and technology, it is working smarter so we can print components on demand from a digital library.
As a long-term partner to the British Army, Babcock maintains their armoured vehicles, including their Titan and Trojan fleets, which are already benefiting from these innovative capabilities. Using Additive Manufacturing, we are producing parts of the fleet’s periscope system, helping to maximise the availability of these platforms.
The process to print parts that are obsolete or required in low quantity, such as the periscope clamp, can now be completed in days instead of months, significantly increasing efficiency for our customer.
Delivering Results Through Project TAMPA
In fact, Babcock has now successfully delivered the first package of work within Project TAMPA for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). Since the MOD awarded the Project TAMPA contract in April 2023 to Babcock (along with NP Aerospace, RBSL, Thales, and AMFG), the focus has been exploring how Additive Manufacturing can help transform material availability across defence operations.
A team from Babcock has been working across multiple domains to deliver solutions for complex parts across a variety of platforms. The project included complex components for the L118 Light Gun, the 4.5-inch gun on the Type 23 frigate, and the torpedo launch system for both the Astute and Dreadnought class submarines.
The Light Gun eye shaft has been recommended for adoption into the defence inventory by MOD’s Defence Equipment & Support team and is ready to be ordered through Babcock’s Material Availability Service.
Kate Robinson, Managing Director of Babcock’s Land Sector, said: “Delivering the first package of work for Project TAMPA is a significant milestone for our customer as we continue to move forward to increase material availability across the sector.
“Working collaboratively with industry partners and our customer has enabled us to explore the challenges and opportunities together to deliver the right solutions. We are now engaged in delivering the next work package in this programme.”
Charlotte Robinson added: “It’s been great to see the progress made by the Babcock team on the project’s first spiral of work. Through collaboration with the other Project TAMPA suppliers and DE&S Delivery teams, Babcock has demonstrated that Additive Manufacturing can play a key role in improving Defence supply chain part availability.”
