Barrow-in-Furness international marine engineering company James Fisher and Sons plc said on Friday its specialist technical business JFD “has been awarded a multi-million-pound five-year service contract by the Royal Navy to ensure the operational readiness of its life-support diving equipment.”

James Fisher said JFD is a “world-leading underwater capability provider which develops pioneering solutions designed to help safeguard the lives of divers and submariners.”

It said the contract builds on a 20-year relationship with the Royal Navy, “reflecting JFD’s breadth of expertise and commitment to capability development and safety improvements in military diving.”

Under the contract, JFD will be responsible for maintaining the Royal Navy’s life-support diving equipment, which includes JFD’s Shadow rebreather system, a specialised underwater closed-circuit life support system.

James Fisher CEO Eoghan O’Lionaird said: “This contract award is testament to JFD’s market-leading reputation and status as the Royal Navy’s underwater life support partner of choice.

“As pioneers of safety improvements in military diving, we’re delighted to secure this new five-year contract, continuing our long-standing partnership with the Royal Navy.”