Babcock has completed a significant milestone in the construction of HMS Active, the second of five Type 31 frigates being built for the Royal Navy, with the final unit successfully lifted into place to complete the ship’s flight deck.
The operation, carried out at Babcock’s Rosyth facility in Scotland, marks the completion of the aft section of the vessel. With the flight deck structure now in place, work can continue towards the next major construction phase, referred to as the “drop stern.”
The Type 31 programme aims to deliver five general purpose frigates that will enhance the Royal Navy’s ability to meet its global commitments. Babcock confirmed ongoing progress on the build, stating: “We’re continuing to make great progress in this programme at Rosyth which will deliver five Type 31 general purpose frigates for the Royal Navy, supporting their mission to maintain national security.”
The Type 31 class, also known as the Inspiration-class, is intended to provide a flexible and exportable warship platform for the UK, capable of maritime security, engagement, and interdiction operations around the world. HMS Active is the second ship in the series, following HMS Venturer, which is also under construction at Rosyth.
Work at the Rosyth site continues at pace, with Babcock highlighting the modular build approach and use of digital shipbuilding methods as key drivers behind the programme’s momentum.
Babcock to upgrade military capabilities of Type 31 frigates
Recently, we reported that Babcock had secured a new contract worth approximately £65 million to deliver the Capability Insertion Period (CIP) for all five Type 31 frigates being built for the Royal Navy.
The CIP phase will introduce a series of capability upgrades to the vessels, enhancing their operational effectiveness beyond the baseline design and build specification. These upgrades will be integrated, tested, and refined at Babcock’s Rosyth facility in Scotland, where the Type 31 ships are currently under construction.
Paul Watson, Arrowhead Managing Director at Babcock, said: “This new contract provides additional military capability for the vessels beyond the initial design and build contract. The detailed knowledge that we have of these ships, combined with our forward-thinking design, will enable an efficient installation and through-life support of the systems and equipment.”
Watson added: “As the design and build partner, Babcock is expertly placed to provide the know-how and technical information to deliver these important activities in the development of the ships through the CIP. We are proud of the role we play alongside our customer – their mission is our mission.”
The contract was awarded by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the Ministry of Defence’s procurement arm. Steven Perry, Type 31 Project Manager at DE&S, said: “We are pleased to have awarded Babcock the CIP contract for the Type 31 fleet. This contract will deliver capability upgrades that go beyond the vessel build specification, delivering Type 31 frigates to the Royal Navy that will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global security.”
Babcock was initially awarded the Type 31 design and build contract in 2019. The company is delivering the Arrowhead 140 design-based frigates, which will form a key component of the Royal Navy’s future surface fleet. Designed for adaptability and global presence, the ships will be capable of operating alongside allies and fulfilling a wide range of missions worldwide.
Good to see.
I am early awaiting the next set of photos for Venturer … I assume she is all painted up now
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SDSR has to deliver another batch of 5.
It wont
I think you’re right Hugo. The RN has 8 T26 and probably.6 T83 to squeeze into its budget, which will.max out the budget for about the next 21 years. Even if there’s more shipbuilding money in the SDSR, which I doubt,, there are many other priorities apart from escorts – 3 FSSS, 3 MRSS, another MROS, 3 or 4 Stirling Castle MCMVs and of course the cash-guzzling Dreadnought.
Can’t see any spare money for T32s.
.
As T26 and T31 enter service we will have increased ‘frigate’ numbers by 5, from 19 to 24. Its just that the extra 5 are batch 2 Rivers, but they are doing jobs that used to be assigned to a frigate: but they do them more cheaply and free up the frigates for combat roles. What the SDR might do is replace the 3 batch 1 Rivers with something a bit more multi-role, perhaps a Kongsberg MCM offering.
It would make more sense to replace the Rivers with a well-armed corvette. A more fighty ship that can do the overseas patrol job a bit more convincingly and also take on peacetime patrol job in our northern waters and a wartime escort role.
The pan-European corvette programme underway is a well-atmed 3000 tonne ship which can do these type of roles. (Wl the Italian version, the French one is looking like an underarmed T31).
In our case, as well as air defence and surface-to-surface, we need ASW capability, as a solo warship in foreign waters is going to be a bit of a sitting duck if it can’t detect and deal with subs at distance, which one ASW helicopter does not assure.This would be a cheaper and better use of money, with a smaller crew, than more T31s or a new class of T32s. The RN really needs to stop trying to be a major world-class navy, for which we have nothing like the funds, and use what funds it has more cost-effectively.
Trying to make a do it all corvette doesn’t work.
The long range versions of EPC will be lightly armed because they need more endurance, the armed versions will be shorter ranged because they have to use the space for supporting weapons
Agreed I would rather see three more T31 to bring the class to eight but with the VIP upgrade in the build from start.
2000 tons should be enough for a ‘fighty’ Corvette with 4 Ashm, 2 rapid-fire cannons, and some basic AA defence.
And then it’ll cost Frigate numbers to build, operate and crew…. defeating the point of having a low cost presence ship.
RN would be far better off buying more FFBNW T31s that have the range and space but critically can be up-gunned into whatever flavour you want.
Crew numbers are more related to systems fitted than the hull size.
Cost of the hull varies surprisingly little with size. It is more the level of fitout and systems.
A Helicopter Deck is essential, maybe upgrade the Gun to the Bofors 40mm or if there is enough ambition the 57mm, jobs a good’n 👍.
No we don’t need corvettes.
We already have a low-end/cost warship the T31, to complement the high-end/cost T26.
Just buy more T31.
Correct!
As per my comment above agreed in full – VIP should of course read CIP. Any further detail on what the CIP might involve ? Here’s hoping for a 32 cell MK41 and NSM but won’t be placing bets.
Babcock will need more orders as the current 5 T31s complete. If we do get more ships, T32 or whatever you label them, it is hard to argue against it being a derivative of the T31 design.
Still no committment to the phantom type 32.
It’ll never happen
I really dont get why UK warship building slows down when it enters the “fitting out” phase.
Is it simply badly planned ?
Because all the investment has gone into new hull fabrication halls/facilities.
Fitting out is the new bottleneck.
The same problems as with the Fabrication part – gapping orders leads to a gapping in essential skills meaning you have to start from fresh 👍.
Fitting out is the most complex part.
Lazy unionised Scotsmen.