The Royal Navy's first Type 31 frigate is not due to enter service until May 1, 2027, according to a note from the Secretary of State for Defense Sir Stephen Lovegrove to the Chair of the Public Finances Committee (in the House of Commons) on January 20 can be asked. So three years later than originally planned.
In view of the high costs, the Strategic Defense and Security Review 2015 (SDSR 15) saw a reduction in the procurement of Type 26 frigates, which are intended to depict three-dimensional naval warfare, from thirteen to eight. At the same time, the procurement of lighter multi-purpose frigates (covering the lower and medium threat spectrum) should be determined via a study. This resulted in the procurement of five Type 31 frigates.
A consortium led by Babcock International (ESUT reported), which signed the £1.25 billion (€1.5 billion) contract for the five Type 31 frigates in November 2019. The British media put the total costs at GBP 2 billion (almost EUR 2.4 billion), since services by the Ministry of Defense have to be taken into account, including costs for integrated logistical support, initial training, material provision by the Royal Navy (among other things, there is talk of the air defense system Sea Captor talked about what the cannibalization of units still in service (Frigate Type 23) would mean) as well as test services. The agreed time frame is for the first steel cutting in 2021 and the first ship in the water in 2023. Delivery of the five frigates between 2024 and 2028.
Experts are observing the development with concern because, in connection with other modernization programs and against the background of the decommissioning rate of the Type 23 frigates (one ship per year) planned from 2023, the number of available/deployable escort ships between 2023 and 2028 will reach the magical 19 will be undercut - as postulated in SDSR 15.
Babcock and BMT developed the 'Arrowhead 140' project for the Royal Navy's Type 31 frigate, based on the Danish Iver Huitfeldt class. Thales provides the command and weapon deployment system. Export opportunities are hoped for (Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland are advertised; hopes also lie in the US Navy's FFG(X) program).
In Rosyth, Babcock is investing GBP 50 million (which is said to be included in the budget for the Type 31 frigates) in the expansion of the production facilities.
Annotation. There is a discrepancy in the approach of the delay. In many places, the delay is estimated at four years. Based on the agreement '2023 first ship in the water', taking into account that 'in the water' does not automatically mean acceptance by the Navy and taking into account a period of approx. 12 months for testing and acceptance, there is a delay of three years. However, the British 'National Shipbuilding Strategy: The Future of Naval Shipbuilding in the UK' from 2017 envisaged: the first ship to enter service in 2023 - the rest would follow at 12-month intervals. Which explains four years – if you want to calculate like that. At that time, the government did not provide for any quantity limitation.
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