Inside Rosyth, the shipyard poised for expansion

The Babcock yard at Rosyth is positioning itself for naval exports and expanded capacity, with executives confirming that plans are advancing for a £1 billion contract to build four frigates for the Danish Navy. The site is also shortlisted for a Swedish programme covering up to seven ships.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Babcock Chief Executive David Lockwood OBE and Admiral Sir Nick Hine KCB, Chief Executive of Babcock Marine and former Second Sea Lord, stressed that Rosyth is now central to Britain’s ambitions to re-establish itself as a major ship exporter.

The prospective deals build on the five Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates ordered for the Royal Navy, the first of which, HMS Venturer, was rolled out in May and is now fitting out in dry dock. HMS Active and HMS Campbelltown are under construction, with the aim of delivering all five ships by 2030.

Sir Nick told journalists that the Type 31, known internationally as the Arrowhead 140, is designed to meet urgent alliance needs. “It’s the ship that navies need. It’s affordable and adaptable. That’s never been done before. The future for Rosyth looks really good,” he said.

Lockwood described the Danish and Swedish campaigns as “live and highly competitive,” noting that France is backing a rival bid in Stockholm. “Nothing is won until it’s won, but we believe the Type 31 is the best fit for what they want and we can show how we will deliver them. We are confident, not complacent,” he said.

New hall and expansion potential

Executives confirmed that Rosyth’s covered build capacity could be expanded with a second hall on the scale of the existing Venturer Building, allowing two additional frigates to be assembled side by side. This would provide both buffer storage for pre-outfitted blocks and the ability to run a parallel Arrowhead 140 line if export orders come in. The additional hall would also reduce scheduling conflicts with carrier refits and maintenance of Royal Navy auxiliaries in the dockyard.

Sir Nick has set a target of 31 ships built worldwide by 2031, achievable through licensed construction as well as UK work. The design is already in production in Poland and Indonesia, with Babcock teams working abroad to support local yards.

Even inside the current Venturer Building, work on the latest ships in class is well underway. Journalists were shown a new ‘q-layers’ ship-painting machine, an automated system that coats the hull far faster than traditional methods, with less wastage and fewer stoppages. The system uses 20 percent less paint, representing a significant saving, and allows other teams to continue work on different parts of the ship while painting is in progress. For Babcock, it is a clear example of how digital processes and automation are reshaping modern shipbuilding.

The workforce is also exploring the rollout of Augmented Reality headsets to streamline workflows. These wearable displays guide operators step by step through complex production and fitting tasks, reducing errors and cutting time in training and execution.

Panel line productivity and workforce growth

Workers on the panel line told the UK Defence Journal that output has already risen significantly in the past six months as new efficiencies and digital methods are applied. Both Lockwood and Hine pointed to this as proof that Rosyth can rapidly scale throughput if new orders are secured.

Lockwood highlighted the recruitment of more than 350 Production Support Operatives (PSOs), many of them older workers retrained after redundancy. “Their stories are often the ones visitors remember most. People tell me we’ve saved their lives or their families. It’s something I am most proud of,” he said. Babcock has also recruited 400 apprentices and aligned with local colleges to ensure a pipeline of skilled workers, while exploring ways for experienced welders and fabricators to transition into trainer roles rather than retire.

With a workforce of 2,500 that could expand to 4,000 if new contracts are secured, Rosyth is positioning itself as a site with the capacity and presence to grow.

A third base for nuclear submarine maintenance

Beyond surface shipbuilding, the site is being considered for a new role in the UK’s nuclear submarine enterprise. In a written parliamentary response, Defence Procurement Minister Maria Eagle confirmed that “the cost of planned infrastructure upgrades at Rosyth Dockyard are £340 million. The cost includes the requirement to deliver a contingent docking facility for HMS Dreadnought during its sea trial period.”

Lockwood told reporters the aim is to make Rosyth capable of receiving nuclear submarines for docking, not dismantling. “The aim is to be able to start bringing nuclear submarines in here again, not to break them up, but working submarines. If you add submarine dismantling, carrier building, Type 31 work, and now the contingent dock, you can really see how this site could become quite a vibrant place.”

Sir Nick added that the requirement is driven by safety and strategy. “As part of the Dreadnought safety case for sailing from Barrow, they need to have access to a contingent docking facility that can take Dreadnought. More broadly, if you are going to have a larger fleet, when you’ve got 12 attack submarines not seven, two bases feels too exposed. Having a third base becomes part of the debate.”

Looking ahead

The question now is how far Rosyth can go. The site already juggles frigates, carrier upkeep and submarine dismantling. Expansion is feasible, both in infrastructure and workforce, but it relies on political decisions in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Westminster. There is opportunity in abundance.

For Fife, the stakes are high. Thousands of jobs and a new industrial identity for Rosyth hang on the contracts now under discussion. Whether this happens will depend not only on the ingenuity of its workforce and the adaptability of its technology, but also on whether governments at home and abroad are willing to commit for the long haul.