At the keel laying of the Royal Navy’s third Type 31 frigate, HMS Formidable, Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie delivered a speech that doubled as a tribute to Rosyth’s workforce and a quiet strategic warning about the world these ships are being built for.
Speaking beneath the cranes and hull sections of the expanding frigate line, Downie reminded workers that he has been present at each stage of Formidable’s journey so far.
“I was proud to be here at the steel cutting of HMS Formidable in October, just a few months after I was elected… the plaque from that day sits in the centre of the shelf in my office in London” he told the assembled teams.
He stressed the centrality of Babcock’s dockyard to both the constituency and national defence. “This dockyard is the largest employer in my constituency and I am proud to be your champion and your voice” he said, highlighting the £340 million already secured from the UK government to upgrade infrastructure, expand submarine dismantling capacity and improve contingent docking.
Downie then pointed outward. Rosyth’s technical output, particularly its role in building missile tubes for the US Navy’s Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, has earned international visibility. “US Congressmen, the US Department of War and the British Ambassador all talked about the work you are doing here… They know how vital you are to the defence of our most important strategic ally.”
The global relevance extends further still. The recently announced Marine Partnership Agreement with Indonesia, he said, safeguards 1,000 jobs across the UK, most of them in Rosyth.
From there, Downie shifted to the strategic picture. In a world he described as “more difficult and volatile,” navies need ships that deliver quickly, adapt rapidly and fill multiple roles. The Type 31 frigate is meant to do exactly that.
“Flexible platforms that can be used for a variety of different purposes are becoming more and more key.
Platforms like Type 31 that can be delivered more quickly, more cost effectively and used in multiple ways to combat different threats.”
He noted growing foreign interest in the Type 31 design, a point Babcock officials have emphasised as export campaigns accelerate. “Countries around the world are looking at T31 for their own navies… helping to keep our allies safe.”
Downie closed by returning to the workforce, tying their daily craft to national security.
“That is only possible because of the skills and dedication you have shown. Thank you for everything you are doing to keep the UK safe, to keep Scotland safe and to protect us.”
Interesting that the politicians are increasingly talking about strategic risks and threats, just wish ministers would act on the warnings.
They could start by ordering a few more T31’s with their significant growth potential they would be quick to build. Once Babcock get into their full stride these ships should be able to roll off the line at more than one a year allowing us to cost effectively add a few more to the RN fleet and supply allies.
If only…
Merry Christmas CR
Merry Christmas to you… Now put that bottle down🤗
We want eight (well, ten), and we won’t wait!
Merry Christmas all
We want ten and now is when?
I’d like to see the T31 mods defined and for another batch included in the spec. These should as a basic include of: Mk 41 tubes, Flexibly mounted engines, a lightweight towed array ASW and upgraded Radar. Call this what you might but battleworthiness must be increased to ‘Stand in the Line’!
In other words everything at a modest increase of performance over the basic T31 that many on here are asking. This is then a ‘Rover’ to a ‘Bentley’ in old money if you understand? Thanks and Merry Christmas.
he obviously didn’t want to tell them that they are slow lazy and poorly led and that they need to up their game if they exp6 orders for the next destroyer design. the T32 isn’t mentioned any more, ji expect unofficially it was been cancelled. and to you mate, 🍻🎅🎅☃️☃️❄️🤡❄️
To be honest I would imagine that the T83 is a shoe in for BAE.. but the RN does need lots of a second line AAW/ASW/GP platform.. and that is where Babcock really sites.. 8 T26, 6 T83 and 16 T31 variants would make a nice and doable fleet.. once that is completed you can settle down the RN order of 1 warship every 18 months from each yard….for a future sustainable fleet of 30.. ships that would be about 23-24 when retired.
I’m sold. Just a shame I’m not John Healey.
The one concern I have, if the UK requires additional 31s in a crisis will there be capacity if foreign vessels are under construction?
Most likely the foreign vessels would be requisitioned. There’s a strong historical precedent for just that
Totally agree, if it me at the top I would start making bits for eventual new ships ie masts and things like that.. We all know that some ships don’t make it to the scrap mechants…
A good government should make sure we have the possibility to get things done quickly in the case we are forced to build more… Not by desire but to replace losses.
Merry Christmas to all of you,and a very happy new year 🤗🤗🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
The one concern I have, if the UK requires additional 31s in a crisis will there be capacity if foreign vessels are under construction?
Type 31 could really be the vessel to get frigate numbers up and quickly. However it needs to be armed properly, especially in the present international situation. Do we know how many Sea Ceptor it’s getting? Some days it’s just 12 and on others it’s a more realistic 32. Hopefully it will get NSM too from the retired T23s. If we built five more for a total of 10. If you put CATSTAN 2 towed array in it’s modular mission bay and added a Merlin ASW Helo it can even be a useful ASW asset. Yes, I know it is not super quiet like the T26 but it builds quickly and could augment the T26 force.
Agree with all the above however with only one build hall at Rosyth and limited workforce the only way the T31 will currently get built for foreign buyers is if the design is licenced.
Got to hope Venturer is through contractor sea trials soon and handed over for RN to figure out how to fight her. Then we can hope for a better fit-out and upgrades on future builds.
Check out Dunfermline Press. Babcock have submitted a planning application for a 2nd build hall.’ A planning statement explained: “The applicant now seeks to obtain Planning Permission to construct a second Ship Building Module Hall to facilitate Babcock’s ongoing Build Strategy” ‘.
Well if they want to take on other work like larger ships or exports they’ll need it, but it won’t be for the RN
Maybe they are building Legend frigates 😂
Good post – with so few surface vessels the RN doesn’t need vessels with capability gaps
I agree this can with certain additions be the Emergency War Frigate.
In the end with BAE and Babcock the UK has a pretty good build capability.. after all if HMG actually ordered the ship each yard could knock out a surface combatant a year.. for 2 a year. That’s not bad for a nation our size.. after all the US only pops out 2 Burke a year at best.. and when it’s bottlenecked one every 18 months…
Babcock have submitted a planning application for a second build hall. That’s encouraging news.
Very good news. The extra capacity must mean Babock believe additional orders are probable. The work force will be happy if new work is there and long term, IF the orders are foreign, HMG will have the time to find the funds for additional T31/T32 hulls and secure a more reasonable rolling replacement program of frigates.
Presumptuous to assume HMG are looking to fund more frigates instead of miracle vessels like LUSV
Indeed, we can’t be sure until we see the DIP. But it is encouraging news, as was Downie’s visit and speech and I thought, his reference to ‘flexible platforms’.
“Flexible platforms that can be used for a variety of different purposes are becoming more and more key.
Platforms like Type 31 that can be delivered more quickly, more cost effectively and used in multiple ways to combat different threats.”
I mean the multipurpose bit feels a bit like corporate spiel when without the various weapon or sensor systems, Mk41, TAS, they’re not particularly multirole.
And those are the expensive parts
Yes, he’s an MP so at one level, and absent the DIP, it is bound to be corporate spiel. That said, I think that taken with the second hall initiative it does indicate that significant announcements are to be expected. If I had to guess I would say an AAW Iver Huitfeld replacement version for Denmark. Maybe we will fit out some of the RN Inspiration 1-5 as LUSV autonomous command ships for the RN or interim secondary MCMV. I don’t see any getting TAS or Mk41 anytime soon.
That is very very good 👍
Yes, it is. The DIP will be interesting for Rosyth. You could argue that foreign orders for Arrowhead variants alone are enough to justify the second build hall at Rosyth. On the other hand I do wonder whether another batch of T31s for the RN might be on the cards. If you deploy the first 5 T31s as supplements to T26, as command ships for LUSVs in the Bastion program, then you have no global GP frigates to pootle around the world doing ‘defence engagement’, ‘deterring aggression’ and securing shipping lanes. Embark with a Merlin and your T31 is a LUSV command ship; embark with NSM and a Wildcat and your T31 is a GP / patrol frigate. Both of these roles might take budget, strategic and capacity priority over building 12,000? ton ‘adaptable strike frigate’ MRSS ships. We could just keep using cheaper LSDs protected by this 2nd batch of modified T31s; at least for a while. I note that the Danish Absalons, which could embark 2 Merlins, have been reconfigured as ASW ships. I wonder if this isn’t what the RN has in mind – a decent sized fleet of jack of all trades T31s. Complements of the Season.
Yes I think it’s the only way really..when BAE are going to be jammed up with 13+ Type 26s and 6 type 83 for a long time ( well into the mid 2040s) we have a new yard for large box type warships ( auxiliaries and amphibious vessels) that means building the escort fleet beyond a pathetic 19 will be up to Babcock.. and I do think the RNs answer is a decent sized basic frigate that can be configured to:
1) hot zone autonomous vessel mother ship
2) hot zone raiding vessel ( 1 company )
3) hot zone ASuW vessel
4) hot zone second tier ASW or AAW for CBG or amphibious group.
5) warm zone patrol frigate and merchant escort
In the end if the RN could have
1) 9 high end ASW escorts
2) 6 high end AAW
3) 16 Jack of all trade frigates ( T31 variants)
That would just about bring the RN close to what was the surface escort requirement for a peacetime stable world.. they can then build the hell out of the the smaller attrition ASW and AAW autonomous vessels to creat war time mass.
Agree. And where was the SNP representation at this event????
Probably talking to the Irish about how they get the UK to police their economic area for free …