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Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate to use half the crew of the Type 23 and embrace automation

10th February 2025 - 10:54 GMT | by Tony Fyler in Swansea

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The Type 31 frigate has been built with the human factor in mind. (Image: Royal Navy/Crown copyright)

The Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate is incorporating automation, reduced crew requirements and enhanced living conditions into its design as the force attempts to meet modern operational demands.

Navies the world over are facing a trinity of issues: recruiting suitably qualified sailors; equipping larger, more effective ships with smaller crews; and, following the experiences of Covid-19, creating warships suitable for potential long-term living.

At last month’s Surface Warships conference in London, one expert speaker explained how the Royal Navy (RN) was tackling those challenges with radical, novel design and build features in its Inspiration-class Type 31 frigate.

The five-vessel Type 31 class was envisaged as a general purpose vessel to balance the RN’s frigate fleet, including the ageing Duke-class Type 23 and the significantly more high-end anti-submarine war machines

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