DSEI 2021 – Babcock has launched ‘Arrowyard’ to assist with local building the Arrowhead frigate.
Arrowyard is developed from Babcock’s rich engineering know-how and shipbuilding experience, brings together a comprehensive range of technology and knowledge transfer options to create the conditions for the domestic construction of the AH140 by optimising customers’ in-country shipbuilding and industrial capabilities.
“Launched at DSEI 2021, Arrowyard enables the construction of the AH140 hull, superstructure and components, final assembly and outfitting and also supports the development of sovereign in-service fleet support capability. Babcock will share its experience in preparing and investing in facilities, skills, systems and processes, most recently seen through the digital transformation and automation upgrade of its own Rosyth facility, readying the site for the construction of Arrowhead 140 for the Royal Navy’s Type 31, Inspiration Class vessels.
Depending on the transformation required and budget available, value-adding Arrowyard packages span the whole product development lifecycle including; a scalable design and build solution; technically proficient naval build infrastructure; an industry 4.0-ready workforce, world-class frigates and an enduring in-service support capability.”
Will Erith, Babcock’s Marine sector CEO said
“We are hugely excited about the potential of Arrowyard on the global shipbuilding market. Interest in the Arrowhead 140 frigate is growing and as one of the companies down selected for the design and feasibility study for the Polish Miecznik frigate programme, the incentive of working with global customers to support the in-country build of naval platforms, with all the benefits that brings to customer countries, has never been more timely. Arrowyard will help customers evaluate their existing shipbuilding capability and develop a plan to re-generate their infrastructure and processes, identifying gaps and providing a programme to bridge these with targeted investment and expert support.”
More on the Arrowhead 140 Frigate
Selected by the Royal Navy as the design solution for its new Type 31 Inspiration Class frigates, the Arrowhead 140 design, “benefits from a proven hull-form that has been tried and tested in real-world operational environments from NATO and coalition task forces to national regional and deployed operations”.
Babcock say that the baseline AH140 design can be configured to meet the broad range of operational requirements and profiles a global frigate may be called upon to undertake and adopt.
Building support and development package, basically. Makes sense and they should get good uptake on foreign orders
Well if it is selected for the Polish Miecznik frigate programme in early 2022 then it would be a good start!
Arrowyard doesn’t seem to be the most stimulating name for it but it’s good to see whole flexible packages are offered which will be very appealing for its potential customers as well as giving Babcock ongoing project management and servicing roles which can then optimise future project offers.
Excellent thinking. We in the UK have one of the most vertically fractured industries in the world – managing project and technical interfaces is something every Prime has to do in spades. Using this “regrettable” expertise to build a design and build portal for customers and suppliers should, for a change, reap some benefit from our experiences. Surely, this kind of thinking is particularly interesting to clients looking to build many of the systems at home. I would have thought this could be a real winner.
A minute ago I heard the PM in the Commons say that H&W Belfast have taken on 1000 apprentices.
Hell of a jump in a week then…
https://afloat.ie/resources/irish-ports/shipyards/item/51819-harland-wolff-welcomes-new-apprentices-to-belfast-shipyard
13 to a thousand?
But they have only welcomed 13 I suppose 🧐
And you believed him? That would be 5 or 10 apprentices for each existing employee.
Well, could be. I simply report what was said. Perhaps Boris isn’t very good with numbers; he read Classics….I recall his knowledge of covid epidemic statistics got as far as ‘flattening the sombrero’ 😅
Give Boris some slack please his just lost his mother give it 2 weeks Before we run him down
Just a little jest. I’m sure he can take it. As it happens I am a Boris fan. He is playing a difficult hand well and to the extent his party will follow his lead he is governing as a ‘one nation Tory’.
Many thanks Paul and a donation won’t go a miss Just adding some names too the New,year’s honour list just rubbed out Tony Blair,
I wish them great success in exporting this ship / design. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if several navies operated this ship and the RN’s ones were the lightest armed? Seems probable to me.
Looks like what’s happening with the type 26. We will have the fewest and arguably least armed.
Other nations won’t have T45 T26 T31 & Possibly T32. They will have one of those types.T26 will have 48 Sea Ceptor and 24 Mk41 VLS for the FC/ASW. plus 2 x DS30M Mk 2 guns. 2 x Phalanx 2 x Mini guns and 4 x GPMG’s. Mk 45 naval gun. And a flight deck for 2 x Wildcat or a Merlin Mk2. Sea Venom and Martlet anti ship missiles. Pretty handy I’d say.
While I accept that vessels can be under gunned, just throwing more on isn’t necessarily the answer either. The T31’s were very much driven by budget, they’re a large enough platform for upgrades down the line potentially.
The T32’s were an unexpected bonus and we’ve no idea what they’ll be, we need to wait and see what flesh is on the bones (and what the bones are in fairness, a lot of us are assuming it will be a batch 2 T31 of some sort but its not a given).
No it wouldn’t. Ships are equipped for their mission. Different navies, different missions, different equipment levels.
Key issue with Arrowhead is we need serial and continuous batch production. So type 31 then type 32 then type 33. Stopping when the navy gets upto 20+ frigate hulls. Then slow rate continuous production thereafter.
Slow production is expensive production. They need fast production and something even cheaper between the frigate batches, such as OPVs or fast patrol boats. That way the workforce is retained and the average annual spend is lowered to the same level as with slow production. Same spend, more ships.
Agree with the principle of there’s the Hull and superstructure ,now it’s up too whoever wants them to place whatever weapon systems and sensors they so desire just don’t blame BAE if you roll over
Sorry typo Babcock
Still with rotating radars…
Apparently congratulations to babcock. Successful license of type 31 to Indonesia?
The good news this afternoon about the deal with Indonesia shows Babcock know’s it’s onions and is really putting in the hours on pushing for exports.
Amazing what can happen with a professional/organised approach a bit of backing from the government!
Who else? Greece? Poland? Ukraine?