Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), part of Arcline Investment Management, has completed its acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Naval Handling facility in Peterborough, Ontario.
With this transaction, the Peterborough facility now serves as FMD’s headquarters in Canada, thereby expanding its services division and increasing support for allied defence integration.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The facility is set to operate as a centre for the assembly, testing, and integration of large-scale naval and undersea handling systems.
This move will expedite deployment of uncrewed and autonomous vessels, FMD said.
In addition, the acquisition broadens the company’s aftermarket services, which previously included deck machinery, materials and air handling, as well as launch and recovery systems.
The Peterborough site allows FMD to supply advanced naval handling solutions for a full range of naval functions. It will provide large-scale systems for the launch and recovery of unmanned systems and support undersea sensing technologies.
FMD CEO George Whittier said: “As Canada reinvests in its Navy, FMD is proud to invest in Canada, delivering a robust portfolio of mission-critical maritime solutions for enhanced operational readiness. Securing the Peterborough naval handling facility underscores our commitment to advance multinational capabilities, ensuring US and allied fleets are equipped for joint maritime missions.”
Currently, the Peterborough facility provides Mission Bay Handling Systems (MBHS) for Canada’s River Class Destroyer (RCD) programme, the UK’s Type 26 programme, and Australia’s Hunter-class anti-submarine warship programme.
The facility brings with it existing expertise in undersea warfare technologies, including shock-hardened towed array winches, variable depth sonar systems, and acoustic sensor handling systems.
These are capabilities designed to enhance the effectiveness of allied navies in addressing sub-surface threats, FMD said.
Completion of the Peterborough site transfer marks the conclusion of FMD’s acquisitions from Rolls-Royce Naval Propulsors’ business.
The deal also covers a manufacturing campus in Walpole, Massachusetts, which delivers propulsor systems for the US Navy, Coast Guard, and allied naval fleets. It also includes the only privately-owned US foundry capable of casting large Navy-standard propulsor systems, located in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Following the acquisition, FMD will continue its work on MBHS contracts for the Global Combat Ship programmes involving Canada, the UK, and Australia.
In November last year, FMD agreed to acquire IMI’s Truflo Marine business in a deal worth £225m ($294m).
