Built by Babcock powered by Palantir Warp Speed – a partnership to revolutionise warship production
Babcock and Palantir are transforming the build and through-life support of warships, starting with the Arrowhead family and expanding across all Arrowhead projects. The partnership is enabling production and operations teams to make better and more data-driven decisions through our capabilities on the Palantir Platform – resulting in faster build programmes, more effective support services, and more efficient asset lifespans.
Since the partnership began in 2023, the Platform has combined modular ship design with intelligent, predictive support. Through our optimisation of Palantir’s Warp Speed manufacturing operating system, the Platform will now provide real-time visibility into every aspect of the build process. It integrates production schedules, manufacturing workflows, and supplier data to predict bottlenecks and proactively manage risks – reducing delays and elucidating the optimal path from blueprint to launch.
Sir Nick Hine, CEO of Babcock Marine, said: “The progress of this partnership marks a step-change in how we build and support warships. By combining Babcock’s engineering expertise with Palantir Warp Speed Platform’s unparalleled data capabilities, we’re executing a smarter, faster, and more resilient form of naval production that adapts dynamically to market conditions and the evolving needs of our customers.”
Guy Williams, Head of International Defence & National Security, Palantir, said: “Together with Babcock, we’re driving a new era in defence defined by operating systems that increase manufacturing adaptivity and performance rather than constrain them. Warp Speed will help supercharge Babcock’s production and operational efficacy and foster a new era of UK maritime strength.”
This is the first time any UK or European manufacturing firm has leveraged the Palantir Warp Speed technology and it demonstrates Babcock and Palantir’s commitment to the UK maritime industry and the broader defence ecosystem.
Designed to sit alongside existing Enterprise Resource Planning, engineering, and manufacturing systems, Warp Speed enables us to optimise planning and execution by connecting all key IT systems and operational players. The result is a single environment in which our engineers, operators, and leaders can orchestrate and interrogate production processes at levels of granularity that adapt to each stakeholder’s role and data permissions.
Ultimately, Palantir Warp Speed will help ensure our customers can meet evolving maritime challenges with confidence and operational independence. It will strengthen our position and performance by improving decision-making continuously at every level of the organisation and enable both internal and external stakeholders to realise a future that is more efficient and secure.
