the base began as royal navy dockyard in the late 17th century, but shipbuilding ceased at devonport in the early 1970s, although ship maintenance work has continued. the now privatised maintenance facilities are operated by babcock marine, a division of babcock international group, who took over the previous owner devonport management limited (dml) in 2007. dml had been running the dockyard since privatisation in 1987.