ISTEC Services Limited, a British company with 36 years of operationally proven experience in the design, manufacture and supply of complex weapon integration solutions and smoke discharger systems (SDS) for military platforms, has recently secured a 4-year contract for the supply of weapon mount spares across all 3 services via the Babcock Service Provision and Transformation Contract (SPTC).
ISTEC has been providing weapon mounts of various guises to the UK MOD for over 30 years. Their mounts were first used by Special Operations vehicles back in the 1990s and since then have been found on key vehicles used on major operations (Iraq and Afghanistan) such as WMIK, Mastiff, Husky and Jackal. Their pedestal mounts and crew-served gun mounts are fitted to the majority of Naval platforms and the GPMG mount is also fitted to the Puma 2 helicopter. As the preferred weapons mount supplier to the UK MOD, for the majority of platforms, there are thousands of mounts of various types currently in service. Therefore, ISTEC has been responsible for the necessary spares and maintenance requirements for DSG, and this new contract is a natural extension of that commitment.
In March 2025, Babcock was awarded a 5-year extension to the existing 10-year SPTC, thus cementing Babcock as a strategic partner to the British Army for the foreseeable future. Through this long-term relationship and hence deeper collaboration, Babcock is focused on delivering wider cost savings, digital transformation and improved operational readiness. ISTEC is committed to supporting Babcock’s mission to maximise the availability of critical assets through improved spares management and increased regeneration. The MOD and front-line troops benefit from reduced costs, improved spares provision and increased sustainability of critical battle-winning assets. Mick Coulson, Managing Director at ISTEC said, “As a British company with many veteran employees, we are fully committed to providing high-quality products for the best value to the UK MOD. We have a long history of delivering battle-proven, robust weapon integration solutions that front-line troops are extremely familiar with and trust. As part of that service, we also pride ourselves on providing the necessary whole-life support to maintain operational effectiveness, and we are very pleased to be working through the Babcock SPTC to deliver this aim.”
