The frigates, currently in build in Rosyth, are to be named after Scottish leaders in a bid to protect the union.

The first vessel HMS William Wallace will be followed by the HMS Robert the Bruce, HMS Nicola Sturgeon, HMS Douglas Ross and HMS Anas Sarwar.

A spokesperson for the Department of Scotland and the Scots said:

“This will cement the union between Scotland and England for another 300 years.”

This comes not long after an update on the project. Despite speculation that steel cutting for the first Type 31 Frigate has slipped due to COVID19, it has been confirmed that the steel will be cut this year as planned.

Kevan Jones, MP for North Durham, asked:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to Answer 5 March 2020 to Question 21163, with regards to the Type 31 Frigate contract, whether his Department still plans to cut steel this year.”

Jeremy Quin, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, replied:

“Yes, on current plans the steel will be cut for the first of the Type 31 Frigates in 2021.”

Last year, we learned that that work was being undertaken to mitigate any potential impact from COVID-19 on the Type 31 programme.

Douglas Chapman, the Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Small Business, Enterprise and Innovation, asked via a Parliamentary written question:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the timescale of the Type 31e frigate project.”

Jeremy Quin, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, responded:

“The Department is working with Babcock and its suppliers to de-risk and mitigate any potential for impact to the Type 31 programme due to COVID-19. Most of the current key outputs for the programme are focused on design, infrastructure development and supply chain mobilisation, and work continues within the Government’s safe working requirements.”

Congraulations and thank you for reading the whole article, this is just an April Fools Day joke. The article above is not true and if anyone is sharing this after the 1st of April, please do remind them of that fact. The purpose of this article, aside from our usual April Fools day joke, is to make the point that reading beyond the headline should be the norm every day, not just on the 1st of April. There’s a large volume of misinformation online, make sure you don’t add to it by sharing articles without reading them. Finally, be careful of the person sharing this article after the 1st of April as they very clearly don’t read what they share.

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PaulW
PaulW
2 years ago

Lol

Mike O
Mike O
2 years ago

Perhaps the Flodden, Dunbar, Pinkie, Culloden and Neville’s Cross if we want to preserve the union ?

Something different
Something different
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike O

A lot of Scots fought on the Hanoverian side at Culloden, it wasn’t an England versus Scotland issue per-se.

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
2 years ago

About half I believe, people tend to forget the highland lowland divide.

Klonkie
Klonkie
2 years ago

very good April1 angle. Do we seriously know what the Admiralty might be planning for the class name? Woul this be the E class following on from the D class type 45?

Martin
Martin
2 years ago
Reply to  Klonkie

Doubt it would be an E class as the Survey Ships have taken E (albeit only 2 in the class). Perhaps an Admiral, weapon or battle class?! For their role, perhaps a rerun of some Leanders. Let’s hope it’s interesting though and not place or region names (T23, T26 Hunts, Sandowns, B1 OPVs & B2 OPVs)

Callum
Callum
2 years ago
Reply to  Klonkie

Not necessarily, it depends entirely on what the government and Admiralty at the time fancy. We’ve also technically got an E-class at the moment, with HMS Echo and Enterprise.

I personally fancy another Battle-class, perhaps HMS Armada, Trafalgar, Jutland, Atlantic, and San Carlos.

klonkie
klonkie
2 years ago
Reply to  Callum

cheers Callum thanks for the input. I am thinking your last suggestion won’t fly though given the world today. heavens to betsy someone somewhere is offended

Lusty
Lusty
2 years ago
Reply to  klonkie

Given that the build is due to start soon, it’s suprising that we haven’t seen the first of class named. It’s likely to coincide with the first steel being cut, although that being said, the names of the new Gibraltar patrol ships have not been announced yet. In terms of a naming convention, it’s anyone’s guess really. They might take inspiration from the Type 21’s (in both function and name) and the name of the design of itself to come up with the ‘Arrow’ class. (Arrow, Alacrity, Avenger, Antelope, Ardent). I am aware of course of the Astute class, but… Read more »

Matt C
Matt C
2 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

My vote’s for Firedrake, Fury, Fame, Formidable and Fearless.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago
Reply to  Matt C

All great names. Maybe not for T31 though.

Callum
Callum
2 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

Bearing Arrow in mind, another option would be a new Weapon class. HMS Arrow, Broadsword, Battleaxe, Cutlass, and Crossbow perhaps

The Big Man
The Big Man
2 years ago
Reply to  Callum

More likely HMS Fitted, HMS For, HMS But, HMS Not and HMS With.

But that was a good April 1.

geoff
geoff
2 years ago
Reply to  The Big Man

🙂 🙂 🙂

Nate m
Nate m
2 years ago
Reply to  The Big Man

I vote for the revenge class. HMS revenge, HMS vengeances, hms oppose, hms challenger, hms tiger

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago
Reply to  Callum

This gets my vote.

john melling
john melling
2 years ago
Reply to  Callum

I would like to see the Tribal Class brought back, HMS Zulu etc ;P

Meirion X
Meirion X
2 years ago
Reply to  Callum

Save the Battle Class for Type 83!
Do we have a C class?

Callum
Callum
2 years ago
Reply to  Meirion X

We do not have a C class currently. The last batch of Type 22s was the previous C class, hence why the T45s are D. I can’t see the Admiralty naming committee backtracking, if they go down the alphabetical route it’ll be E or F (depending on if they count the Echo class survey ships)

Nate m
Nate m
2 years ago
Reply to  Callum

maybe they could be the names of British cruisers or destroyers when Boris finally wakes up from his dream and realises we aren’t at the top anymore!

Robert Blay.
Robert Blay.
2 years ago

They will also come fitted with a 84 quad packed VLS with the latest Derk Thurst anti ship missile. ?

TW
TW
2 years ago

I read the headline and my first thought was “The Secretary of State named the class after himself?”

Spitfire
Spitfire
2 years ago

Very good… almost fell foul of it.

Martin
Martin
2 years ago

A good April fool but having a “Saint” class doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. The first four are obvious (Andrew, David, George & Patrick) but I’m sure there must be at least one more that is synonymous to the U.K.?

Neil Mosedale
Neil Mosedale
2 years ago

HMS Pike, Mainwairing, Jones, Godfrey and Frazier would strike fear into our enemies.

john melling
john melling
2 years ago
Reply to  Neil Mosedale

Who do you think your kidding ;P haha

Something different
Something different
2 years ago
Reply to  Neil Mosedale

HMS Don’t panic

David Flandry
David Flandry
2 years ago

HMS No More Cuts?

Nate m
Nate m
2 years ago
Reply to  David Flandry

good one.

KPB
KPB
2 years ago

They should go ahead with this, and re-name the OPV’s the Grommet class.

Nick C
Nick C
2 years ago
Reply to  KPB

No, I think the first commanding officer should be required to change his name to Gromit.

Iain
Iain
2 years ago

An even more sneaky April Fools than normal since there really was an HMS Wallace and the Duke of Edinburgh served on her in WW2. Of course by the time we got to name number three you kind of blew it 🙂

Lusty
Lusty
2 years ago
Reply to  Iain

HMS Bruce was a real ship as well!

Mike R
2 years ago

Does that mean the Type 32’s will be known as the “Grommit” class? Ha-Ha!

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago

Brilliant! This one cracks me up even more than the others.

Gavin Gordon
Gavin Gordon
2 years ago

Quite honestly, any name in the near future would be something. Still favour Leander-class, but find Bird-class also has appeal for ships scattered to the four winds (five winds?).

Gavin Gordon
Gavin Gordon
2 years ago
Reply to  Gavin Gordon

Goshawk; Harrier; Kestrel; Osprey; Saker, for instance!

Jack
Jack
2 years ago

🙂 That would be the most blatant case of pandering EVER, LOL.

Geoffrey Roach
Geoffrey Roach
2 years ago

Some silly names suggested here. I am reliably informed that the lead ship will be Lulu followed by MacBeth, Perez, Rebus and Taggart..

Rob N
Rob N
2 years ago

This is not far off the mark as they have already called the first one Glasgow…

Lusty
Lusty
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob N

That’s Type 26!

Rob N
Rob N
2 years ago
Reply to  Lusty

Yes but its the same thing. It is obvious that tge first T26 was named Glasgow for political reasons.

Lusty
Lusty
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob N

Oh yes, that was obvious.

AlexS
AlexS
2 years ago

Heheh

Gary M.
Gary M.
2 years ago

Admiral class; Nelson, Howe, Rodney.

Excellent April Fool though.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago
Reply to  Gary M.

Already have a Nelson.
Yes, excellent.

Douglas Newell
Douglas Newell
2 years ago

I think HMS William Wallace would be great name for a Frigate.

And HMS Nippy has good ring to it too.

Cymbeline
Cymbeline
2 years ago
Reply to  Douglas Newell

When I saw the Wallace Class I thought OK after Barns Wallace, then I saw the Nicola Sturgeon then it clicked, maybe if they changed the names of the Heads to the Sturgeons I could get it.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago

HMS Bungle, Zippy, George, Geoffrey, or maybe HMS Tobermory, Uncle Bulgaria, Orinoco, Bungo, Wellington.
?

geoff
geoff
2 years ago

Morning Daniele. Uncle Bulgaria has a nice ring to it and I must admit George is on top form this April 1 season! How about something for us here in the Commonwealth from the Zulu language-HMS Hamba kancane, HMS Gandaganda,HMS Skebenga, HMS Putu and HMS Tokoloshe

geoff
geoff
2 years ago
Reply to  geoff

*translations in order from the above-Go Slowly, Tractor(onomatapeic from the sound of a Tractor) Criminal, Maize porridge, mischievous spirit 🙂

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago
Reply to  geoff

Morning Geoff

Ahhh, I did wonder! I like HMS Mischievous Spirit actually!

And jokes aside I like the thought of a “Tribal” class, though I think these days the woke brigade would have a pink fit.

Plunging temperatures in Surrey, though I think us southerners will avoid the snow forecast!

geoff
geoff
2 years ago

The world of weather is turned upside down Daniele. One minute 24 deg C in March, the next snow in April!! Actually a revival of the TribalClass is not a bad idea. Cement Commonwealth ties!

captain p wash
captain p wash
2 years ago

I like HMS Gunbuster personally !

David Flandry
David Flandry
2 years ago

I got that point some years ago, stop with the jokes and report actual news.

peter french
peter french
2 years ago

When will stop sucking up to the Scots by all means name the Class whatever you want but to do it to please the SNP , and thats an impossible task. is utterly weak.I cant beleive the amount of Navy build being tossed to Scotland its way over the top

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
2 years ago
Reply to  peter french

Would the Scots comment on the amount of RAF build going to England?

Pandering to the SNP, I think that does happen regards Scots Infantry Battalion names retained at expense of English ones, but not warships, that is where our warship production currently is.

Could the remnants of English yards even do the work regards complex warships?

HarryD
HarryD
2 years ago

There was a real ship called Sturgeon, an S sub of the WW2 era.

Albion
Albion
2 years ago

My choice is Fearless, Formidable, Furious, Fortitude & Foresight

JOHNT
JOHNT
2 years ago

HMS Expendable would be a good name given their lack of capability.

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
2 years ago

Clearly someone got that idea from my comment last week about HMS Owain Glyndŵr and jokingly asking had there ever been an HMS Robert the Bruce or HMS William Wallace. I hope the cheque is in the post.

Taffybadger
2 years ago

HMS Deep Fried ?