Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]

Contains threads on Royal Navy equipment of the past, present and future.

What will be the result of the 'Lighter Frigate' programme?

Programme cancelled, RN down to 14 escorts
52
10%
Programme cancelled & replaced with GP T26
14
3%
A number of heavy OPVs spun as "frigates"
127
25%
An LCS-like modular ship
22
4%
A modernised Type 23
24
5%
A Type 26-lite
71
14%
Less than 5 hulls
22
4%
5 hulls
71
14%
More than 5 hulls
103
20%
 
Total votes: 506

User avatar
shark bait
Senior Member
Posts: 6427
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:18
Pitcairn Island

Re: Type 31 & Type 32 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by shark bait »

Lord Jim wrote:Does a multi role sonar, towed, hull mounted and so on exist that can be used for various missions from ASW to Mine warfare
Nope, the sonars tend to be optimised around specific frequency bands that are different for different jobs. Doesn't mater because the sonar looks like this now;

Image
@LandSharkUK

User avatar
The Armchair Soldier
Site Admin
Posts: 1747
Joined: 29 Apr 2015, 08:31
Contact:
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

The Type 32 frigate has been split from this topic as it seems to be more than just a Type 31 derivative. This topic is now solely focused on the Type 31.

Type 32 frigate General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

BlueD954
Member
Posts: 233
Joined: 02 Oct 2020, 05:11
Singapore

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by BlueD954 »

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mass ... -in-rosyth

A vast building hall for the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates has been welcomed by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as a major milestone in building the next-generation frigates.

Type 31s, which are being built by Babcock in Roysth, will be the beating heart of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, deterring aggression and supporting the UK’s national interests across the world.

At 147 metres long, the new hall can comfortably fit three Olympic size swimming pools, and the 30 metre high ‘megadoors’ can accommodate two vessels being assembled at the same time side by side.

The unveiling of the module hall follows the substantial £16.5 billion settlement for defence over the next four years that will modernise the armed forces, reinvigorate the shipbuilding industry and bring jobs and prosperity to every part of the UK.

Speaking virtually at the opening ceremony of Babcock’s mammoth module hall in Rosyth, the Defence Secretary said:
Defence underpins a wealth of jobs and investment across the entire United Kingdom. Babcock’s ‘frigate factory’ in Rosyth demonstrates the huge footprint of prosperity that defence brings.

This vast industrial facility will see Scottish shipbuilders build our latest warships to take pride of place in the Royal Navy fleet.

Robertson was awarded a £31.5 million contract by Babcock to build the module hall. This project maintained 100 jobs, created five new full-time roles at Robertson and supported a further 100 positions throughout Robertson’s supply chain. The company has also committed significant orders to local Scottish suppliers for the assembly hall build.

Ground-breaking for the new hall commenced in April 2020. The steel structures are now in place in preparation for ship assembly, which will commence in 2021.

Learning lessons from previous programmes to reinvigorate the shipbuilding capabilities at Rosyth, the new hall has state-of-the art manufacturing facilities and new digital systems as well as gantry stair access inside the structure to remove the need for scaffolding. This means personnel will be able to safely access the vessels without leaving the building.

The Type 31 programme employs more than 1,250 people across the UK, which will create a legacy of infrastructure, innovation and skills for the shipbuilding sector. Off the back of the programme, Babcock have also jumpstarted a further 150 apprentice roles to set the sector up for success in the next generation.

User avatar
RichardIC
Senior Member
Posts: 1371
Joined: 10 May 2015, 16:59
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by RichardIC »


Ron5
Donator
Posts: 7249
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:42
United States of America

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Ron5 »

Opening ceremony for a vast shed??? Gimme a break. All that's been done is the metal girders in the picture behind the yellow clad gents. Look closely, you can just make them out. The big blue building to the left which clearly we are expected to believe is the new facility, isn't anything of the sort.

By the way, the Devonshire Hall for building the nukes at Barrow is about twice the size. According to STRN, over 300 million is being spent there to improve facilities.

jedibeeftrix
Member
Posts: 509
Joined: 09 May 2015, 22:54

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by jedibeeftrix »

is this the 'frigate factory'?

or just a big shed...

Roders96
Member
Posts: 225
Joined: 26 Aug 2019, 14:41
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Roders96 »

Well it's a few steel girders at the moment, but they've ordered tooling etc. etc.

Pretty sure most factories are big sheds until you fill them.

User avatar
ArmChairCivvy
Senior Member
Posts: 16312
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:34
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Roders96 wrote:most factories are big sheds until you fill them.
or, some are more like warehouses. If you consider the extension to the hall to allow three (Dreadnoughts soon, though the Astutes are not out of the way completely) boats to be worked on ... at a snail's pace
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

User avatar
shark bait
Senior Member
Posts: 6427
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:18
Pitcairn Island

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by shark bait »

The blue building is the module fabrication building, the same one that built carrier blocks.

The new building will be the assembly assembly hall where they can build two ships out of the terrible Scottish weather.
@LandSharkUK

User avatar
shark bait
Senior Member
Posts: 6427
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:18
Pitcairn Island

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by shark bait »

Here's the plans BTW

Image
Image
@LandSharkUK

User avatar
SKB
Senior Member
Posts: 7931
Joined: 30 Apr 2015, 18:35
England

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by SKB »

Image
Babcock Rosyth. They've already started building the new ship hall.

Image
CGI of the new ship hall, being built by Robertson Construction. Both ends of the £31.5m structure will have a pair of large doors.
https://www.robertson.co.uk/news/robert ... ock-rosyth

bobp
Senior Member
Posts: 2684
Joined: 06 May 2015, 07:52
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by bobp »

SKB wrote:They've already started building the new ship hall.
Yes and there are a lot of Bobs working on it. :crazy:

User avatar
SKB
Senior Member
Posts: 7931
Joined: 30 Apr 2015, 18:35
England

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by SKB »

bobp wrote:Yes and there are a lot of Bobs working on it. :crazy:
BabBobs?! :mrgreen:

Scimitar54
Senior Member
Posts: 1701
Joined: 13 Jul 2015, 05:10
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Scimitar54 »

Or Bob the Bruces. :mrgreen:

User avatar
SKB
Senior Member
Posts: 7931
Joined: 30 Apr 2015, 18:35
England

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by SKB »

Portsmouth's ship hall is 53 metres longer than this new Rosyth one, its 200 metres long compared to 147 metres at Rosyth. However, both halls are 60 metres wide. Rosyth's new hall will have double-doors at both ends, but Portsmouth's hall has double-doors at the basin end and only a single door at its opposite land-side end.

bobp
Senior Member
Posts: 2684
Joined: 06 May 2015, 07:52
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by bobp »

:crazy:
SKB wrote:but Portsmouth's hall
Portsmouth is off topic :mrgreen:
And how many Bobs? :crazy:

Ron5
Donator
Posts: 7249
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:42
United States of America

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Ron5 »

Roders96 wrote:Well it's a few steel girders at the moment, but they've ordered tooling etc. etc.

Pretty sure most factories are big sheds until you fill them.
Tooling?? You really have no idea.

Ron5
Donator
Posts: 7249
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:42
United States of America

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Ron5 »

shark bait wrote:The blue building is the module fabrication building, the same one that built carrier blocks.

The new building will be the assembly assembly hall where they can build two ships out of the terrible Scottish weather.
Didn't they just build a couple sponsons, nothing difficult.

bobp
Senior Member
Posts: 2684
Joined: 06 May 2015, 07:52
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by bobp »

Ron5 wrote:Didn't they just build a couple sponsons, nothing difficult.
Yes they did but they also glued the big bits together, and made them all work, apart from some pipework that leaked.

Ron5
Donator
Posts: 7249
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:42
United States of America

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Ron5 »

bobp wrote:
Ron5 wrote:Didn't they just build a couple sponsons, nothing difficult.
Yes they did but they also glued the big bits together, and made them all work, apart from some pipework that leaked.
They being the ACA. Plenty of BAE workers there.


jonas
Senior Member
Posts: 1110
Joined: 30 Apr 2015, 19:20
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by jonas »

First PEMA welding line installed :-


Ron5
Donator
Posts: 7249
Joined: 05 May 2015, 21:42
United States of America

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Ron5 »

Navy Lookout kindly showed in which building the line was located:

Image

tomuk
Senior Member
Posts: 1409
Joined: 20 Dec 2017, 20:24
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by tomuk »

Babcock have also got planning permission to extend said building

User avatar
Jensy
Senior Member
Posts: 1061
Joined: 05 Aug 2016, 19:44
United Kingdom

Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Jensy »

Ron5 wrote:Navy Lookout kindly showed in which building the line was located:

Image
tomuk wrote:Babcock have also got planning permission to extend said building
With the Sandowns likely not long for the chop (suitability for off-board systems rather than age), the refit facility/syncrolift building semes like an interesting location for future development too.

Post Reply