UK’s Type 31 frigate balances cost pressure with long-term export ambition
The first two Type 31s have floated off, while the keel has been laid for ship three and the build of ship four has formally commenced. (Photo: Crown Copyright)
The UK shipbuilder’s full-year results to the end of March revealed the impact of the £140 million charge linked to design changes and rework on the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme.
The UK’s Type 31 Inspiration-class is a general-purpose frigate being procured by the UK Royal Navy (RN) to replace its Type 23 Duke-class frigates. Expected to undertake a variety of roles, from interception and disruption of illegal activity at sea to intelligence gathering and defence engagement, the ships are being built by Babcock at its Rosyth facility in Scotland.
The UK company secured a contract in 2019 to deliver five Type 31s, after the requirement was identified in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Along with the five type 31s, the RN’s 13 ageing Duke-class vessels
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
