Lib Dems propose six more frigates for Royal Navy

The Liberal Democrats have proposed ordering six additional Royal Navy frigates and expanding British shipbuilding capacity as part of a defence package aimed at responding to the threat from Russia, according to plans published by the party.

Under the proposal, three additional Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates and three additional Type 31 general-purpose frigates would be ordered for delivery by the mid-2030s.

If added to existing government plans, the proposal would increase the planned Type 26 fleet from eight ships to 11 and the Type 31 fleet from five to eight. The government currently intends the two classes to form the core of the Royal Navy’s future frigate force alongside at least six Common Combat Vessels replacing the Type 45 destroyers.

The Liberal Democrats estimate that three additional Type 31 frigates would cost around £1.2 billion, based on an assumed unit cost of approximately £400 million in 2025/26 prices. The party puts the cost of three additional Type 26 frigates at £2.85 billion, using an estimated cost of around £950 million per ship.

A further £370 million would be allocated from the party’s proposed Defence Bonds scheme towards additional shipbuilding infrastructure.

The party describes the policy as providing funding for four new shipyards, although the detailed costing accompanying the announcement says the £370 million figure is based on constructing two further facilities at approximately £185 million each, using BAE Systems’ Janet Harvey Hall on the Clyde as its benchmark.

The frigate orders and shipbuilding allocation amount to approximately £4.42 billion of capital spending under the party’s published assumptions.

The Liberal Democrats also propose increasing the Digital Services Tax from 2 per cent to 10 per cent and using part of the additional revenue to meet personnel and maintenance costs associated with the expanded fleet.

The party says there are no current official estimates available for the through-life operating costs of the Type 26 and Type 31 fleets. Its own calculations assume annual running costs of £20 million for each additional ship by 2034/35, producing an estimated £120 million annual cost for the six vessels.

Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson James MacCleary MP said: “We cannot afford to sit on our hands while Putin’s aggression intensifies and our national security weakens. We need a plan which gives confidence to British industry and allows our manufacturers to get on with delivering for Britain’s long-term security.

“By investing now in six new warships and by expanding our ship-building capacity with four new British shipyards, we can regenerate our fleet, protect our vital underwater infrastructure, and ensure Britain has the defence capabilities we need to stand up to the Kremlin.”

The announcement follows a Defence Committee report published on 22 October which warned of serious capability gaps affecting British operations in the High North.

The committee said publicly available evidence of low availability among frigates, destroyers and attack submarines raised questions about the UK’s ability to meet its commitments in the region, while warning that Russian submarine and sabotage activity presents risks to undersea infrastructure and North Atlantic reinforcement routes.

The Liberal Democrats also cited polling conducted by Savanta between 29 May and 1 June 2026 involving 2,234 UK adults. According to the results commissioned by the party, 60 per cent said the government was either probably or definitely not doing enough to protect critical infrastructure from Russian attacks, compared with 26 per cent who believed it was doing enough. Fourteen per cent answered that they did not know.

The party argues that additional orders would also provide a longer and more predictable workload for British shipbuilding, allowing yards and suppliers to invest in workforce and infrastructure with greater confidence.

The government’s existing shipbuilding programme includes eight Type 26 frigates and five Type 31 frigates, while the wider Hybrid Navy plan also envisages new crewed and uncrewed vessels operating together. The 2025 Strategic Defence Review placed particular emphasis on the Type 26 as part of Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy’s approach to countering the growing submarine threat in the North Atlantic.

The Liberal Democrat proposal would go beyond those numbers by adding six crewed frigates to the planned force, with the party arguing that the additional hulls should be ordered during the next Parliament and delivered by the mid-2030s.