FMD Completes Rolls-Royce Acquisition, Establishes Canadian HQ
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, finalized its acquisition of the Rolls-Royce Naval Handling facility in Peterborough, Ontario. The closing officially establishes the facility as FMD’s Canadian headquarters, expanding the services division and supporting the revitalization of the Canadian defence industrial base.
“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 naval power and domestic manufacturing, FMD is positioned to localize a robust portfolio of trusted, mission-critical maritime solutions,” said George Whittier, FMD CEO. “Securing the Peterborough naval handling facility solidifies our commitment to manufacturing in Canada. As a trusted supplier, we are ready to act as a strategic partner under Canada’s Build, Partner, Buy framework, outlined in the country’s first Defence Industrial Strategy.”
The Canadian hub will serve as a specialized facility for large-scale assembly, testing and integration for complex naval and undersea handling systems. 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. The Canadian 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.
The acquisition strengthens Canada's maritime industrial base while expanding FMD's manufacturing presence in the country, which currently includes Montreal Bronze. A local footprint ensures critical innovations and high-value supply chains remain inside Canada. From its new headquarters, FMD stands ready to support the Canadian National Shipbuilding Strategy and Defence Industrial Strategy by strengthening domestic manufacturing and unlocking new opportunities for defence exports. This investment ensures FMD can advance Canada’s fleet modernization goals, develop next-generation capabilities and close technical gaps to ensure persistent mission readiness across the sea domain.
Through the acquisition, 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 sub-surface threats.
