The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that new Royal Navy vessels currently under construction are being built predominantly with steel sourced from overseas due to limitations in the UK’s ability to supply the grades of steel required for modern warship construction.
In response to a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, Defence Minister Maria Eagle said that Type 26 and Type 31 frigates are being manufactured “predominantly using steel sourced overseas,” because “the specification of thin plate steel required for shipbuilding cannot currently be reliably sourced in the UK.”
She added that “Royal Navy vessels use a variety of steel, manufactured and sourced from the UK and overseas,” but that supply decisions are ultimately made by the prime contractors. Eagle explained that the MOD “encourages them to source UK steel wherever it is technically and commercially feasible.”
The disclosure comes amid continuing concern over the UK’s defence industrial resilience and follows criticism that some recent naval programmes have done too little to support British steel producers.
No steel orders have yet been placed for the Fleet Solid Support ships, which are still in the design phase. The FSS programme is led by Team Resolute, a consortium including Harland & Wolff and Navantia UK, and is expected to require substantial volumes of specialised steel once production begins.
Asked whether any of the steel being used is British-made virgin or recycled material, the MOD stated it was unable to provide an answer. “We are unable to say whether the UK steel content of the ships currently under construction contain British-made virgin or recycled steel, as this information is not held,” Eagle said.
The MOD’s comments are likely to renew pressure on government and industry to invest in the domestic steel sector and to ensure future naval programmes offer greater economic returns to UK suppliers. Several shipbuilding contracts, including the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, are already supporting thousands of UK jobs, but questions remain about how much of that industrial benefit is staying within British supply chains.
The Royal Navy has eight Type 26 frigates on order, with construction underway on the Clyde, and five Type 31 frigates being built in Rosyth. The Fleet Solid Support ships will eventually join the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and provide replenishment capabilities to the UK’s carrier strike groups.
When will there be more type 31/32 frigates?
The new equipment plan is released in the Autumn. There is lots of wrangling going on behind the scenes regarding the speed of the core budget increase to 3.5%. Only when that is agreed with the Treasury can decisions be made. The three services will be scrambling for the cash you can be sure of that. I just hope we see real improvements, not just more spin.
Also Dreadnoughts are built with French steel
Here we go, the 1/2 billion a year to keep Scunthorpe open is going to be part of the defence budget. Less ships to actually defend but keeping disgusted of Tunbridge Wells happy is more important. There’s a global over supply of steel and even if you can cut energy costs the fact that Indian, Chinese and South Korean steel workers get paid less means that steel isn’t competitive. Subsidies didn’t work in the 70s and won’t work now.
If British Steel are unable to deliver the materials to build a warship I have no problem with primes sourcing it elsewhere. I’m not by any means an expert but as someone who served on T boats i never cared where the steel came from but I did care about it’s quality.
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Problem is UK steel isn’t commercially viable do the industry would need to be propped up by the tax payer in order to supply what in real.termnis a very low tonnage of steel. Buying steel from European allies as part of a Europe defence pact is surely part of the strategy. People forget in WW2 our biggest strength was our diverse supply chains.
I wrote on my last post how the ship that I served on during OP Corporate was towed out of Pompey 2 weeks ago bound for turkey for scrap 5,000 tons of steel that could have been recycled here in the UK well done UK cut your nose off too spite your face .