“For nearly a century, Fairbanks Morse has been a proud partner of the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard. 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,” said George Whittier, FMD CEO. “Securing the Peterborough naval handling facility underscores our commitment to advance multinational capabilities, ensuring US and allied fleets are equipped for joint maritime missions.”
The Canadian hub will serve as a specialized facility for large-scale assembly, testing, and integration for complex naval and undersea handling systems to expedite the deployment of unmanned and autonomous vessels. Through the acquisition, Fairbanks Morse will broaden its aftermarket services portfolio, which currently encompasses deck machinery, material and air handling, and launch and recovery systems. This facility positions FMD to deliver specialized handling solutions across the full spectrum of naval operations, adding large-scale naval handling systems for launch and recovery of unmanned systems as well as undersea sensing technologies.
FMD will continue to support the Mission Bay Handling System (MBHS) contracts for the Global Combat Ship programs of Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The Peterborough facility is currently supplying MBHS systems to Canada’s River Class Destroyer (RCD) program, the United Kingdom’s Type 26 program, and Australia’s Hunter-class anti-submarine warship program. With the support of FMD, the facility will continue building on its undersea warfare expertise, which includes shock-hardened towed array winches, variable depth sonar systems, and acoustic sensor handling solutions that provide allied navies with a decisive edge against subsurface threats.
The transfer of the Peterborough site completes FMD’s acquisitions from the Rolls-Royce Naval Propulsors’ business. The acquisition also includes a manufacturing campus in Walpole, Massachusetts, which produces critical propulsor systems for the US Navy, Coast Guard, and allied naval fleets. It also secured the only privately-owned US foundry capable of casting large Navy-standard propulsor systems in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
