Royal Navy's Type 31 frigate programme moves to multi-ship build phase
Two of the five Type 31 frigates are now under construction. (Photo: Babcock)
Babcock International Group has achieved a significant milestone in the Royal Navy's Type 31 frigate programme by laying the keel for HMS Active, the second ship in the Inspiration class.
Babcock International Group has laid the keel for HMS Active, the second of the five-ship Inspiration-class Type 31 frigate programme for the Royal Navy.
This marks the programme’s move the multi-ship phase with two warships being built simultaneously, with work continuing metres away on the first of class, HMS Venturer.
John Howie, Babcock’s chief corporate affairs officer and interim CEO marine said: 'Type 31 is an incredibly important programme for Babcock, our Royal Navy and Ministry of Defence customer and for the wider UK shipbuilding industry.'
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A formal contract award was made for the build and delivery of five Type 31 frigates on 15 November 2019 to Babcock. The total programme value, including systems and equipment, is $2.7 billion. The ships are to be launched at a rate of one per year from 2023 to the last in 2027.
The Type 31 is based on Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design. Two modified Arrowhead 140 frigates will be built for the Indonesian Navy in-country by PT PAL.
Babcock has also been selected as the platform design provider and technology partner for Poland’s Miecznik frigate programme, which will see three Arrowhead 140 ships built, with steel being cut on the first vessel earlier this year.
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