Galliford Try £60m defence contract: design and delivery notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Galliford Try has secured a £60m Defence Infrastructure Organisation contract to build a new munitions handling facility for the US Air Force at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The scheme comprises three new munitions buildings providing storage, testing, maintenance and administrative space, forming a critical element of the base’s weapons logistics. This first USAF commission for Galliford Try builds on its previous RAF projects at Marham and Coningsby, signalling continued demand for complex, secure defence infrastructure in eastern England.
Technical Brief
- Contract value of £60m indicates a substantial capex package for defence-grade building works.
- Scope is let as a “schedule of works”, implying multiple work packages under a single framework.
- Delivery is via the Defence Infrastructure Organisation on behalf of USAF, adding bi‑national governance interfaces.
- First USAF commission for Galliford Try introduces new client security, assurance and technical approval pathways.
- Previous RAF Marham and RAF Coningsby experience suggests familiarity with airbase operational constraints and airside access controls.
- Facilities will need to meet stringent explosive storage and handling standards, driving robust structural and blast design.
- Complex project description implies integrated M&E, security, fire, and environmental control systems within the munitions buildings.
Our Take
Within our 745 Infrastructure stories, Galliford Try appears frequently on UK defence and aviation-related works, suggesting it is consolidating a niche in complex, security-sensitive facilities rather than purely commercial building.
Work at RAF Lakenheath, RAF Marham and RAF Coningsby for the DIO and USAF typically involves stringent airside and blast-resilience standards, which can give contractors like Galliford Try a technical edge when bidding for other high-spec public sector frameworks.
East of England defence infrastructure schemes in our database often run in multi-phase packages, so a £60m award at RAF Lakenheath may position Galliford Try favourably for follow-on works as the base’s long-term upgrade programme progresses.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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