The Ministry of Defence has reiterated that the Type 32 frigate programme remains firmly in its concept phase, with no significant advancements reported since an October update.
In a written response on December 9th, Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, stated: “The Type 32 frigate programme remains in the concept phase and has not yet reached the level of maturity to allow publication of a specific timetable for design and procurement.”
This mirrors the position outlined in October by Luke Pollard, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, who gave a similar response to a question posed by Labour MP Graeme Downie.
The ongoing uncertainty reflects the programme’s early-stage development. As of May 2024, only £4 million had been allocated for the Type 32 concept phase, and no in-service date has been announced.
Previous commentary suggested that the first vessels are unlikely to enter service before the 2030s, aligning with other Royal Navy procurement timelines.
Speculation and Strategic Considerations
The Type 32 frigate programme was first announced under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, yet its role within the Royal Navy’s future fleet remains ambiguous. Early reports suggested that the frigates could either introduce an entirely new design or expand the existing Type 31 fleet.
However, no formal confirmation has been provided, and speculation continues.
In October, Luke Pollard highlighted the importance of the upcoming strategic defence review, led by Lord Robertson, in shaping the future of UK naval capabilities. Pollard remarked: “This is a serious review that recognises not only that the world is a more difficult place… but that the UK armed forces have far too many capability gaps.”
This review, set to report in the first half of 2025, is expected to address key questions about the UK’s naval fleet structure and its ability to deter aggression. Until then, it appears unlikely that the Type 32 frigate programme will move beyond its conceptual stage.
For now, the Type 32s remain a project marked by its potential rather than its progress. While the MOD continues to emphasise the importance of frigates like the Type 26 and Type 31 in shaping the Royal Navy’s future, the specifics of the Type 32 programme remain undefined.
With the strategic defence review pending, it may take several more months before clarity emerges on the timeline and role of these proposed new vessels.
Considering it was created from Boris Johnson misspeaking it’s been kept going for a very long time…😂🤣😅
Not going to happen.
These wont happen. This was borne from Boris mis-speaking the class and its just dragged on.
I really would be happy to be proven wrong though.
Struggling to see what benefit a type 32 Frigate brings to the RN. It can’t be a good idea to bring a third class of frigate into service when the other two are both still brand new. A type 32 needs to be either a bigger more capable replacement for the River class (in which perhaps it would be better to class them as corvettes), or simply a block two purchase of type 31s. Any consideration of replacement for the type 26s and 31s needs to be put on the back burner until we have a replacement lined up for the destroyer fleet.
I wish they would just scrap the T32 and order a second batch of T31’s but built from day 1 with some teeth.
Why do you think there’s any difference, we don’t have money for more frigates either way
Buying another 5 mid price frigates over a five plus year period won’t break the bank particularly if there is a modest capital uplift.
T31 will replace Rivers on long patrols.
That leaves a gap for T32 to fill before you get to the ‘mass’ arguments. 24 front line ships always was the minimum fleet size and it is also to do with critical mass on the training pipeline.
Except there is no guaranteed capital uplift
No doubt they are currently wasting millions sending civil servants on ‘fact finding’ missions to sunny parts of the world to help ‘develop’ the concept phase. Just cancel it.
Exactly that. We are in dire urgent need of rebuilding RN in both quantity & quality. It’s like 1939 & HMG just wants more cuts to already very weak tiny forces.
I don’t think it will happen, I would like to see type 32 combined into the MRSS programme. I mentioned in the article about babcock taking on more apprentices that this could be a variant of the San Geiogeo class like the Qatari and Algerian navies have done. A class of 10 would be perfect reinforced by the point class/future roro.
10? You’re hilarious
That number is purely based off 6 MRSS and the alleged 3-5 type 32.
Unfortunately more frigates is a wishful dream and 6 MRSS is an unfounded aspiration
Unfunded
It shouldn’t be a wishful dream, more than 19 escorts, ideally 30, should be the norm and is well within the capabilities of the UK.
It will be quielty dropped as sure as eggs is eggs . The RN could desparately do with more frigates but I cant see this government coughing up any cash for more
For years, RN leaders argued that 19 destroyers and frigates was the minimum number necessary to meet commitments. On the one third rule, we might have 6/7 on active duty. Is this enough? An increase to 24 ( I don’t believe Boris misspoke) would still leave the escort fleet smaller than even the post Cold War norm, and seems entirely reasonable. The big question is whether they can be crewed. Assuming the manpower problem is resolved over the next few years, what should type 32 be expected to do? ASW capability could be included in batch 2 T31 just as in the original Iver Huidtfeldts, even though these are primarily for air defence. But until the first T31 has been commissioned, it might be wiser to wait until it can be tested in operations, before ordering more.
A more affordable option would be a stretched River 2, something like the BAE Leander proposal. With the plan to uparm the T31, a lower tier patrol frigate could take on the forward deployed role initially earmarked for the T31.
Like the comment on the BAE Leander. Bit smaller and less capabilities and space for growth than a T31 and smaller hangar but could be good for coastal, light frigate duties. I think the forward deployed frigates will still need to be relatively heavy armed considering the region where they’re operating in. We’ve had no further news on the UK exploring the Kongsberg Vanguard class?
Huge is right, the naval budget is already overstretched and building an additional class of frigates is a total non-starter.
Last I read, the naval surface ships budget had increased to someting like £2.4bn per year. About 30% of this is available for new construction, the rest goes on upgrades, refits, maintenance, contracting out, operating costs, etc.
That gives about £800 a year to build new ships. That has to cover not only the escort fleet, but also minor warships (OPVs, MCMV and survey vessels) and the RFA. Given that the T26 batch 2 frigate will apparently cost £850m a ship, that’s the annual budget spent, before you add in T31, Castle MCMV, Proteus, FSSS, future MRSS etc.
Before everyone blames HMG for not providing more money for the navy, it is pretty well-off compared to the Army and RAF, which are seriously deficient in being able to pride new equipment.
It is possible thar Boris got his terminology jumbled. More likely though that is the RN itself lobbied for a T32 class, perhaps reverting to the original plan of selling-off the T31-E (E for export) and replacing them with a more fighty enhanced T31, hence T32.designation.
They want to upgrade T31 so I doubt they’re going to sell them.
Three more 31’s ordered now to keep veerything ticking over and call it a day.
What are we cancelling to get that, MRSS isn’t fully funded, T83 is next highest priority as well
Isn’t there a RN 3 ship requirement for MCM vessel? So maybe a T31/A140/MRNP MCM variant might fit the bill here and still be multi-purpose enough for patrol/light asw as well.
Not if they want it RFA crewed
Let’s stop the who idea now and build more T31/26’s. This was always a Boris cock-up. We need FF’s now not a concept progect to build yet another class of frigate.
It doesn’t matter what frigate it is, it’s not gonna happen.
If we can’t afford more T31 or 26 how could we afford a design with even more budget savings
We can & nust afford more escorts or we may cease to exist.
I don’t necessarily see the T32 as a frigate. I expect the defence review to rationalise Proteus, Sterling Castle, the Hunts, the Sandowns, the B1 River and Archer replacements.
You assume half those will be replaced.