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
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